


Paradiso

by strykelass



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dubious Consent, First Time, Gen, M/M, Mpreg, Non-Consensual Touching, Ritual Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-01-27 00:32:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 58,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12569664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strykelass/pseuds/strykelass
Summary: Every year an omega is chosen from the penthouse courtiers to bear a child for the kingdom. Seth Rollins broke the rules when he got attached. (Tags will be updated with each chapter, see warnings)





	1. The Lovers

The day right before the solstice celebration was bound to be one of the most stressful days of Seth's life. All the planning, public appearances, final arrangements, and tiny freak outs in the weeks leading up to the solstice already had him drinking an awful lot of herb infused tea just to dull any lingering anxieties. The fact of the matter was that no matter what happened that day, there would be a huge celebration and King Helmsley and the rest of the royal family was going to copulate with him until he was pregnant.

The sun rose and Seth rose with it, nerves immediately jangling as he reminded himself of his busy schedule for the day. He sat for a few minutes in the marble balcony of his living quarters, quickly combing his long brown hair and imagining the royal city beneath him filled to the brim with excited, happy people, observing the parade and the festivities. Already, preparations were being made and street cleaners were moving through the roads, picking up leaf litter and erecting the large silk banners that Seth had helped design for that year. Almost everything was floral, which Seth liked, but had annoyed the hell out of the royal court.

The chosen omega each year typically wasn't very involved, but Seth was different. He had seemed destined to make a fuss and walk the less traveled road since he had presented as an omega. His scent was much thicker and more debilitating to alphas than most, and unlike most of his kind, Seth was incredibly curious and asked questions often.

The court usually went with patriotic themes for the solstice festival. For several years in a row, the kingdom entertained themes of strength and duty, using the fairs as a means to show King Helmsley's exceptional royal guard. 

"It's rather much to go with a show of pride after  _ losing _ a war," Seth had said brazenly during the meeting in which he was to introduce his ideas for the festival. "We need something _hopeful_ , something realistic, but optimistic as well."

The court hated it. Queen Stephanie had tried to override him at every turn, but the king listened with mild interest as Seth explained his ideas for a festival of rebirth and reimagining, with lots of flowers, warm colors, and seasonal mixes from the local breweries. 

"Aside from the _cost_ of rolling you in on a float of flowers," King Helmsley had said, regarding Seth with a calculated stare, "A festival of rebirth seems to put whatever child you bear at an advantage in the mind of the public, does it not?"

Seth remembered smiling nervously while the king bared his teeth in a rare grin. It was a pretty bold move, but some insurance for a lavish lifestyle after birthing his child was in order, as none of the omega courtiers really knew what was to become of them after they were chosen.

"Oh thank god you're ready-" Mr. Heyman let himself into Seth’s private chambers, his voice muffled slightly by the typical herb-mask around his face, shielding him from the omega scent. He came to Seth's balcony and sighed with relief at the sight of the brown haired man. "They're starting the press conference early because of the King's special court meeting this afternoon."

As Seth followed Mr. Heyman through the palace grounds, he wished he wasn’t limited to his usual garb of a bulky white robe and some simple sandals. He wanted a little something extra to give the impression that he was the chosen omega. Walking through the front garden to the coach, he plucked a fat yellow rose and spent most of the time riding to the conference incorporating it into his hair. It was a very short ride, but through the window Seth could see barriers being set up on the streets for the parade.

All through the conference, nothing was particularly interesting. He found himself mentally waning, tired, thinking helplessly about Cesaro.

Omega courtiers were the entertainers and socializers for the court, and although sex was not something to be traded, they were not allowed to bond with anyone either. Though the men and women of the court often exchanged gifts and favored certain omegas, the expectation was that Seth and all the other courtiers were to be shared.

This had all been fine until about a year ago when a particular money handler came to the penthouse. He was exceptionally strong, bald yet handsome, and with a certain impediment that made him particularly suited to meeting with Seth.

"My sense of smell is very poor," Cesaro admitted, laughing nervously as he extended his face to Seth's neck to scent him. "But,  _ you _ I can pick up." 

For months, Cesaro came to the penthouse with gifts of chocolate and exotic coffees and without warning, Seth became infatuated. During the planning for the festival and the lonely evenings after all the visitors had gone, Seth sat up and thought at length about how much he had come to admire the alpha that came to see him. His scent was quiet and unassuming, and he was always overly polite and sweet, asking Seth about what his life was like and the things he enjoyed about being a courtier.

"It's not the sort of luxury a private dowery would get me, but I like to be involved in the royal court." Seth had shrugged, trying to think past the usual boring explanation he gave people who came to see him. "The food is never spoiled. I don't mind visiting with people..."

"You seem to be very good at it," Cesaro agreed, large hand rubbing Seth's wrist. "It is just a shame you cannot leave and see the world beyond the walls, I think you would love to see the different towns and places. Though, I don't suppose many omegas do that..."

Far from upset that Seth had been chosen for the festival, Cesaro seemed excited, which made Seth's heart ache. For months, he was in denial, but over the winter, he broke down during a visit and ushered Cesaro to a private room. It was highly irregular, but Seth found he no longer cared.

"I think I'm in love with you," he admitted through tears. "I'm going crazy- I can't think and every time I think about going into isolation, I start to panic."

Cesaro held him, listening carefully. Isolation referred to the period of the omega's pregnancy where they were moved from the penthouse and cared for by private nurses. After the pregnancy, the omegas were supposedly moved into private villas and estates where they could raise their children, but it was all very uncertain. 

"But you surely do not want to just… drop out of the festival?" Cesaro asked, kissing Seth's forehead. "I think that I do love you as well, but you have worked so hard…"

Staring into the crowd of hopeful writers and historians, all clamoring to ask him questions at the conference, Seth felt dazed. He remembered the plan he'd made with Cesaro for that night. After all the meetings and appointments were over, he would sneak in and give Seth his first ever taste of intercourse. It was dangerous, potentially disastrous, but after that night, he'd no longer be a courtier anyway. Everything was going to change, and Seth had no idea if it was for better or worse.

"Question for Rollins-" a woman asked from the front. Mr. Heyman nodded and Seth blinked, staring into the crowd. "With all of this stepping aside from tradition with the culture exhibitions and the new visuals, it seems like you have a lot more input than courtiers in years past. Would you say that this is a progressive move on behalf of the court?"

Seth cleared his throat, in order to project his voice across the room. "I believe I had a vision for how I wanted the event to look and feel, if you will. I'm just very grateful to be afforded the opportunity…"

Mr. Heyman seemed pleased enough but after the conference, Seth still couldn't shake Cesaro from his mind. Even as he went to his appointments to ready his body for the next day, he couldn't help imagining what was going to happen that night and, subsequently, the night after, which would conclude with the conception of his baby. Despite being an omega, Seth had gone through most of his life blissfully unaware of what sex and pregnancy felt like. His heats were fairly inconsequential and he wasn't as sexually excitable as some, so he rarely thought about it.

"Are you excited?" his hairdresser asked, running warm water over his locks and scrubbing his scalp with soap. Seth just nodded, unable to pull his face out of a serious, introverted expression. Another attendant came with a razor and began shaping and shortening his beard with the utmost precision. If his face was cut right before the parade, he'd be very upset.

After his hair on his head was trimmed, the little ringlets of fuzz on his chest and armpits were tapered down to a more controlled line and his backside was clear cut. Laying undignified with his knees to his chest, Seth winced, feeling hot wax being pulled from his entrance, leaving him bare and stinging slightly. All of the attendants were wearing herb masks to keep themselves from falling into a haze from working over him so closely. 

After a lunch break of oat bread and fruit, Seth was stripped down and scrubbed with salts and lotions that made his skin silky smooth and shiny. His feet were serviced and his calluses scrubbed, while a nude polish was applied to his nails as a finishing touch. The next day, he'd wake early and he'd be dressed in a multitude of festive garments and body paints, but for the time being, he was bare and stripped down.

"We'll have a logistical mock up of the parade and then King Helmsley was going to meet with you before dusk," Mr. Heyman said, reading from a written itinerary while Seth's attendants began picking up their tools and materials. Seth nodded, slipping back into his sandals, feeling cold and jittery.

Halfway through the short meeting, Seth realized it was perhaps the last time he'd see many of the members of the court in an official capacity. After years of butting into their affairs and forcing them to don herb masks through regular meetings, the court was evenly split between admiring the omega and being glad to see him gone. Sir John and Lady Nicole wished him the best of luck for the festival, expressing their interest to see such a nuanced take on an old tradition, but Lady Charlotte rebuffed him. Seth knew not to take such things personally, and he knew all of the behind the scenes dramas that often played out between the court members. His mind was fixated on his lover, even as he crossed the hall and went to meet with King Helmsley, alone.

Mr. Heyman waited outside as Seth watched the King grab ice from an insulated chest and offer him a dark red drink from a goblet. He accepted and sat on the lavish arm chair beside the King's, not accustomed to such close contact. King Helmsley did not wear a mask, but rather held a flower between his fingers, keeping it close to his face.

"I would like to congratulate you on the amount of work you have personally put into making this celebration your own, Seth," the King began, his eyes raking up and down his frame as Seth sat, legs open, almost bored. "In all my memory, I can't recall a courtier who has volunteered as much of themselves as you, and your labor hasn't gone unnoticed."

"Thank you sir," Seth said quietly, nodding. "I am glad you can appreciate it, rather than finding me obtrusive."  

"It is not common, but I don't find it to be distracting." He shrugged, taking a moment to fill his lungs with the scent of the flower before setting it down. "But here, we reach a fork in the road where I impress upon you the importance of knowing your role and recategorizing your priorities."

Seth nodded, staring at his well pedicured feet. He'd expected it to come at some point. 

"As soon as we consummate your role as the omega for the solstice, you will cease to be a courtier and you will be moved into isolation for the duration of your pregnancy. You may have heard of the stringent nature of keeping your health optimal for your baby from former courtiers, but you must surrender yourself to the nature of your condition and heed the advice of your nurses, as well as myself."

"Of course," Seth said, nodding again. The king tipped his chin, staring.

"It is imperative you do so, as your ability to produce a suitable heir determines the relative comfort you may experience in your civilian life," he continued, eyes boring into Seth's. "It is not enough to be  _ chosen _ , an omega must produce a healthy heir that shows promise throughout their life to be a leader and a member of the court." King Helmsley opened his hands, as though showing a hand of cards. "An omega that produces a new king or queen can live a very comfortable life, perhaps even with participation in the court as you were interested in. But that child must thrive early on, and show mental and physical prowess. An omega that cannot produce a child, or produces one that cannot thrive..." He closed his fist and Seth's heart raced, unfamiliar with any such consequences.

"Might I ask?" Seth asked weakly, trying to keep his frame from reflecting any doubts or fear. The king blinked, sighing.

"I operate on a case by case basis," he explained, his fingers knitting together. "But I cannot allow the public to know of any weakness on my part. If you cannot produce a healthy child, you would be lucky to entertain a civilian life with any amount of comfortability."

Seth felt dizzy but nodded, trying not to fall into a fearful, panicked state. The king rose and opened up a small box, revealing a vial of water and small jars of various powders.

"A preliminary test may give some indication of your condition," the king said, motioning for Seth to rise and then turn to face the arm chair. He shivered as the king lay a hand on a back, pushing him down as his robes were gathered and parted, revealing his silky backside, fresh from the spa. Trying his best not to make a sound, Seth grit his teeth as rough, ringed fingers grasped around at his entrance, pushing his legs apart and then inserting themselves right behind his small cock. 

For a horrid moment, Seth wondered if this was some sort of test of his ability to have intercourse and he exhaled hard, unsure if he was supposed to be doing something. However, the king retreated quickly and Seth could just see him pressing powder against his wet fingers before pushing the contents into the vial to shake. 

Bewildered, Seth pulled his robes back, sitting on the chair and grinding his behind against the seat to try to rid himself of the strange sensation of being intruded. The King's eyes narrowed, observing the vial as it swirled and shone in his hands.

"A test of fertility," he said manically, shaking the vial up further as Seth stared, heart beating out of his chest. "If it stays white, you're barren. The more blue it becomes, the better chance you'll have of bearing a baby."

Seth couldn't help letting out a relieved sigh as the vial began to teal slowly. He hadn't considered the possibility of being infertile, but for a horrible few minutes, he remembered how weak and calm his heats had always been, as though that could be an indicator of failure. Because Seth had never had sex before, he'd never had a pregnancy scare or missed a heat, and when he'd begun as a courtier he'd likely been too young for such a test to work properly.

"Good." King Helmsley laughed, watching the vial turn a deep cerulean. Seth chuckled awkwardly, relieved to see the King relaxing, and losing his look of manic fervor. "I would strongly advise eating a small but filling dinner at the feast tomorrow, or else you may become sick later. You'll be asked to drink a variety of different concoctions before the consummation- all of which are for your own benefit as far as enjoyment and securing a good mating. Listen to the guards, but remember to listen to me above all others, as I'll copulate first and dictate the order of which others may meet with you."

Seth's eyes widened as the vial in the King's hands went from a deep navy to pitch black. Following his gaze, King Helmsley observed the glass, eyes narrowing as he held it up to the light again, frowning.

"That's never happened," he said softly, looking from the vial to Seth and back again. Realizing that Seth was going white and looking faint, the King shook his head, snorting. "It's probably nothing, don't become upset. It  _ was _ blue. I'll consult with my doctors." 

"Sure..." Seth muttered, remembering to breathe as the momentary relief he'd felt from seeing the blue vial vanished completely. King Helmsley set down the vial and moved close, scenting Seth's neck carefully and groaning. 

"A scent as strong as yours should have no problem," he said lowly, brushing up against Seth's ear. "Make me a child and you'll be secure..."

* * *

Seth was so emotionally overwrought that he couldn't be properly excited when he found Cesaro waiting on his bed as they had planned. The sun had set and Finn, Seth's closest courtier friend, had feigned illness to keep attention away from Seth's room for the evening. As soon as they were together, Seth was unable to stop himself from spilling everything the King had told him as Cesaro rubbed his back and listened.

"It's a fear that I'm sure won't go away until my kid reaches adulthood." He sniffed. "If something happened to them, if suddenly they were unworthy, I don't know what would happen to myself! And now, what, I sound so selfish! How can I bring a child into the world when it wouldn't even belong to itself?"

"It is cruel, as wonderful as your life must look on the outside," Cesaro said softly. "I don't know how safe you would be away from here-"

"We should leave," Seth said immediately. "After the celebration tomorrow, after the festival- we should just get out of here! We can leave the bounds of the kingdom where I'm no longer bound to serve and then we can have our own family."

Cesaro thought for a moment, stroking Seth's hair and staring off into the distance. Seth knew his lover well enough not to whine or arrest his attention, as Cesaro liked to take his time to think on things. After a few moments, he cleared his throat, looking to Seth very seriously.

"Something like that would take time," he acknowledged. "If we were to do that, I would need to plan. It's not as though a courtier omega can just leave and not be easily detected, but it is not impossible."

"It would be harder to break me out of isolation." Seth frowned, his shoulders drooping. Cesaro rubbed his back faster. 

"I will not leave you here if you're afraid," he said, tilting Seth's mouth up. "If you do not want to be here any more, I will try my best to get you out. Is that what you want?"

Seth felt tears in his eyes and he nodded, sniffing hard. The day had been so long and stressful, he was sure he wasn't great company, but he still really wanted Cesaro to have sex with him. There was a lingering fear that he wouldn't be able to see the man ever again and if he was going to do something so physically and emotionally charged, he wanted it to be with someone he trusted. Having the King's hands on him just momentarily had felt uncomfortable and rough, he didn't want to have sex if it felt like that.

"Can you kiss me?" he asked, laughing lightly as he dried his eyes. "I'm sorry…"

Kissing someone he loved deeply for the first time in his life, Seth was sure he was terrible at it, but Cesaro was as patient and sweet as ever, pulling him close and softly working at him with his mouth. It was heavenly to refocus his attention and the ball of anxiety loosened in his chest as Seth allowed his eyelids to flutter shut, trying his best to imitate whatever Cesaro was doing. Up close, the alpha scent was more focused and a little sharp, but his lover had worn a concealer to hide the fact that he was sneaking around. 

He'd spend the night, hide when Seth's attendants came, and leave through the penthouse after canoodling with Finn to cover his tracks. Seth didn't know how he'd ever repay his friend, but he'd promised to tell him everything he could about sex and how it worked. 

Seth shivered a little, feeling Cesaro's tongue nip at his lips and he chuckled, becoming aware of a tingling sensation around his entrance. Cesaro was wearing a light spring robe and Seth's hands strained to pull it off his shoulders. He'd never seen his lover naked before.

"We can do this," Cesaro said, pulling back from Seth slightly as hands tugged at his clothes. "But I want to warn you, I'm rather big and since this is your first time, we should go very slowly so I don't hurt you…"

"What do you mean?" Seth's brows furrowed, his body stiffening up in expectation of some sort of quick manhandling, but Cesaro blushed and stood, pulling off his robes and standing casually above the bed. In the candlelight, it was as though his musculature was carved from marble, perfect and defined. Seth knew his cock was small because he was an omega, but he hadn't expected what Cesaro was packing.

"Is that-" Seth licked his lips. "Do all alphas?"

"I'm… gifted," Cesaro said shyly, giving his large cock a nice pull. Seth could see it still looked huge, even in his lover's fairly wide hands. "But, I will help you... and I won't do anything you don't like." 

Sex, as it turned out, was very strange and wonderful and maybe even one of Seth's favorite things. He was curious to know what it felt like when he was in the thick of his heat, and he felt a little annoyed that the festival wasn't in a few days when he was due in his cycle. He knew at first that Cesaro would put his dick in his entrance and the friction would cause him to release his seed, so Seth was initially confused when Cesaro wanted to give him kisses around his cock instead of immediately filling him up. 

His look of confusion immediately vanished as he whined and moaned, knees twitching as Cesaro's tongue lapped endlessly around his little cock and slit. It was like being tickled, but not quite, and in some places, Cesaro did it faster than others, making his hips buck. It was overwhelming and after a few minutes, Seth wanted to kiss again, sure that he could only take so much. 

"That feels good?" Cesaro asked, slightly drunk from the concentration of Seth's smell all over his face. Slowly, he slid two fingers up into Seth's entrance and Seth gasped loudly, biting his lip and shivering all over. "Just relax Schatzchen… take a breath…"

It was a truly strange experience, but Seth desperately wanted Cesaro to know that he loved him and really wanted sex. Breathing deep, he relaxed his hips, trying to get himself used to the sensation of an intrusion pumping back and forth, sure that he'd have to dispose of his sheets if he was going to keep his secret. 

Cesaro's eyes couldn't stop looking over Seth's frame, even as they kissed and clawed at each other, finally able to physically express their longing. Cesaro's free hand roamed across Seth's breast, sliding down his stomach and eventually grabbing his behind trying to memorize every part he could. Seth himself was just hypnotized with how fluidly his lover's muscles moved, clear beneath the skin and flushed from activity.

"I want you in-" Seth finally said, trembling as he realized his clit had swollen up and his cock was as big as he'd ever seen it, engorged with excitement. "I want you to put a baby in me before they can-" 

"Yeah?" Cesaro asked breathlessly, allowing his firm dick to press against Seth's leg, huge and slightly damp with seed.

"No one will know," Seth continued. "Please, I want it to be yours…"

Moving to sit at the edge of the bed so Seth could lower himself down, Cesaro coached him, holding his cock upright, and wiping his own seed around the head to keep it wet. He laughed, seeing some of Seth's own slick come beading down, landing on his dick like warm honey while Seth blushed, embarrassed.

"No, that is good," Cesaro said, kissing him quickly. "Relax, relax…"

Bearing down, Seth let out little grunt, falling upon the dick and feeling his insides shuffle comfortably in place. It was such a tight fit, Seth laughed lightly as his thighs hugged Cesaro's sides, incredibly proud of himself.

"Oh-okay," Seth sighed, pushing a length of hair out of his face. "You can release it now."

Cesaro laughed, bringing his hands up to daintily hold onto Seth's hips. He bucked softly and Seth squeaked, feeling the cock inside him dribble up and pat at his inner belly.

It felt  _ really _ good, but really sudden and uncontrolled.

"Yeah?" Cesaro asked, grinning as Seth's eyes crossed a little. Seth nodded, grounding himself appropriately in his lover's lap. A bouncy little rhythm started up and both men were moaning and trembling, in disbelief of what they were doing and loving every second of it.

"This… this is…" Seth panted, restraining himself from letting out a soft scream. "This is it…?"

"Yeah," Cesaro said breathlessly. "You are so good Seth…"

It was enough validation for the moment, and Seth was too caught up in his own fun to really question what he was doing. Cesaro looked completely undone, beading sweat and smelling sharper and sharper. Slick was leaking out of Seth's slit into their laps and Cesaro's cock had no trouble pistoning up, becoming harder and harder.

With a gasp, Seth felt warmth and Cesaro tugged him close, his stomach muscles fluttering as he reached his peak. It was yet another strange sensation, as Seth would have rather liked to continue bouncing around, but for the moment, it seemed as though his lover needed to collect himself, overwhelmed and exhausted. 

They lay together, panting with Cesaro still sheathed in Seth, shivering as little aftershocks had his dick tingling against Seth's insides. Cozy in his lover's large chest, Seth kissed the surface, feeling a hand on his head, petting his hair.

Two more times they made love, each more rowdy and physical than the last, as Seth wanted to try different positions and Cesaro wanted to prove how strong he was. By the time the candles burned down, Seth was leaking seed and Cesaro lay close, holding him and rubbing his lower belly while he kissed the nape of his neck, humming some quiet song. 

"When you go into isolation, you will stay in this building, yes?" he asked, a bare whisper, Seth nodded, trying not to think about anything other than the present.

"Yeah… I just won't be in the penthouse or allowed to visit outside with the other courtiers," he mumbled, eyes shut. "The other omegas can visit me I think, but there's a lot of rules." 

"I'll get you out," Cesaro said, smoothing soft circles around Seth's navel. "I'll figure out a plan. I will keep you safe."

"I love you," Seth whispered, finally edging on sleep as he was the most comfortable and satiated he’d been in probably in all his life. 

"I love you too," Cesaro said, "I want a family with you, don't worry." 


	2. The Rulers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth goes into Isolation.

Whatever was in the drinks Seth ingested before the consummation had the strangest effect on his memory and they seemed to disorder his time throughout the day. Seth remembered waking early and Cesaro made his leave according to plan. It had been emotional, and Seth had cried, but Cesaro held his head and reassured him that they would be together again.

"I won't leave you here," he reiterated, kissing Seth's lips. "I will protect you and the baby. I love you, Seth." 

Seth wanted to fall apart and insist on leaving that morning, but he knew he couldn't. There was so much going on and the city would be torn apart if the solstice celebration was missing its omega. The king would likely utilize the anger of the locals to drive a lynch mob and they'd both be hanged. 

So instead, Seth took a deep breath and went about preparing himself for the day. Cesaro really did love him, they'd find some way to be together, but a few things would have to be taken care of first. 

He remembered being prepped with makeup and fitted with a bodice of flowers strung together, the material scratching his skin as he stood patiently, waiting for the attendants to finish piecing together the forms. His hair was coated in a damp oil that shone bright in the sun, giving him the appearance of a honey-coated plant. 

He could vaguely recall the parade, feeling dazed, nauseous and hungry all at the same time as he waved from his float at the head of the show, nerves tingling. Twice, he was sure he saw Cesaro in the crowd, beaming at him and wearing a necklace of strung flowers, but he disappeared among the swell of onlookers. Fireworks, streamers and music passed in a nosy haze, overwhelming his senses.

When the time came to feast, Seth tried to remember what the King had told him, making sure not to overeat as he drank a small glass of white wine. During the toast, Seth was sure he was a little frightened as his arms began to feel weak, trembling as he raised his glass. Looking to his right, King Helmsley was watching him carefully, his brow dark and furrowed. 

After that, Seth's recollections became scattered and mostly focused on small blips of sensory perception. He was led down a bright hallway, half carried by the King, and Queen Stephanie was giving loud instructions to a small group of royals. Seth was instructed to drink more of some carbonated, sweet juice and before long, his clothes were removed.

There had been a lot of drooling, a lot of pressure around his slit, but at the time, Seth hadn't cared much. The effects of the drug had him so relaxed that he wasn't worried about the King's ultimatum or his lover outside the palace walls. Nothing really hurt and despite the wandering touch of foreign hands, there weren't any marks put on his body that broke or bruised him. The nature of the intimacy was praising, almost worship. 

But waking was a different matter and the moment Seth came to his senses, he heaved up the contents of his stomach, puking old wine across a bedspread as he could hear attendants sighing and hastening to clean up the mess. 

"That can't feel good," an attendant tutted, petting his hair. "Any more dear?"

But Seth couldn't answer. His mouth felt numb and before long he was asleep again, content to surrender to whatever force was keeping him warm and clean in the meantime. Waking again in total darkness, Seth had no idea if it was day or night because his room was so still and quiet. 

He'd been dressed in a short linen pant with a drawstring, but no shirt. The bed he'd been laying on had very soft sheets and comfortable pillows, but it was all Seth knew in his surroundings. For some time, he lay still, trying to assess himself in the darkness while his head pounded slightly. His whole body had been scrubbed clean several times over and his mouth didn't feel soggy from any vomit. Seth's hair had been pulled back in a loose ponytail, leaving some of the fringe on his forehead to stick to his cheeks. 

There was no real way to tell how much time had passed, but soon enough Seth heard a soft opening noise as a door in the corner slid open and a lit candle passed into the room. The carrier was none other than the head courtier, Shawn, who had mentored Seth when he had first arrived to the penthouse.

"Shawn," Seth said, relieved. His voice was a little hoarse. "Was that it? The celebration?"

"Yep." Shawn sat at his bedside on a small stool, lighting a few other candles to spread the light around the room. It was very bare, with shutters over large glass windows that blocked out the starlight, likely from a balcony. It wasn't dissimilar to Seth's room, but the orientation was reversed. 

"Did…" Seth blinked, sitting up, his head was hurting a little, but mostly he felt fine. "Did it go well? Do you know how I did?"

"Seemed fine." Shawn smiled. "Congrats kiddo." He gestured around. "Welcome to isolation."

"This is it?" Seth laughed, staring at the walls. "I… I imagined it differently."

Shawn's smile faltered a little and he sighed, regarding his former mentee with a curious expression. It wasn't quite pride or enthusiasm, but Seth knew Shawn disliked things that were too serious. Looking down a short list in his hands, the man seemed to be struggling to make some sort of point, and Seth licked his lips, waiting.

"Well, I guess I'm pregnant then, right?" he tried, putting a hand over his bare stomach, inspecting it closely. It was as normal as ever and as Shawn didn't answer right away. Seth looked up nervously, wondering if something had gone wrong.

"We'll know pretty soon," he said. "If you're not, you won't be made to stay…"

"The King…" Seth began, looking to Shawn pleadingly as he suddenly remembered the strange fertility test. "He said I could… he thought I could get pregnant. The test turned blue-" He paused, not wanting to explain the change of color. Shawn just shook his head, waving his hands which jingled with his usual golden bracelets.

"It's fine, it's just, you're to begin your health regimen now that you're awake," Shawn explained. "You'll begin a prescribed lifestyle according to the variable differences in your body and the needs that a pregnancy will put on yourself. Things may change, but in the mornin' your doctor will come and talk to you, and based on what they find, you'll be assigned instructions for the coming months." 

Seth nodded, wondering exactly why Shawn had needed to come and tell him this. Seth wanted to believe it was because Shawn cared for him, but things were usually more complicated than that. 

"But this… will be your home for the next nine months or so," Shawn continued, looking around the dimly lit room with a sort of sarcastic resignation. Seth frowned, put off.

"I'm not allowed to leave at all?" he asked. "Why… why so long?"

"If all goes well, that's how long you'll be pregnant." Shawn laughed. "And if it's born early, the King probably won't be happy, so you'd better hope you're here for nine months."

Seth blinked, feeling very empty and strange. He really had no idea what he was in for. Any time the courtiers had talked about sex or pregnancy, they'd been deliberately shushed by Shawn or their attendants. There was no common knowledge to be spread, except that a baby would grow, push out his stomach, and eventually be born when the time was right. He supposed that it was all fine and good because the staff of doctors would assume most of the duties for keeping him in good health, but it did present problems for his escape plan.

Which, Seth thought, sighing, was probably the point of keeping the information withheld. 

"There's a balcony you can look out on," Shawn explained. "It's long enough for you to walk laps, which is something your doctor'll probably tell you to do. Now… I know this whole thing is going to go against your basic nature to meddle and rebel... " 

Seth blinked again, his heart racing, but Shawn just smiled, looking to Seth fondly.

"You've been a very unique omega and I think it was to your own benefit. The festival was beautiful and the people really seemed to like it." 

He paused and Seth nodded, managing a mumbled "Thank you."

"But that was just preparation for  _ this _ part of your life. All of those things were great, but this is what's always been the point of being a courtier, aging out of it. This transition is always real difficult and the omegas that can't handle it… well…" Shawn waved. "You need to set your mind to the task at hand. Don't think about the past and don't worry about the future, just listen to what the doctor says and do it, okay?"

"Okay," Seth said, nodding again. He really just wanted to be left alone. "Thank you… Shawn…"

Seth tried to sleep again, clutching his pillow and trying to get rid of the minor headache he’d been nursing since he'd initially woken up. Throughout his dreams, he remembered Cesaro holding him, keeping him steady while they were intimate and watching him with the most appreciative, happy expression. Seth wanted to believe that his lover would magically find some way of breaking him out of the palace, but the enormity of the situation was dawning on him and Seth knew, for his own mental well being, that he shouldn't expect a rescue party any time soon. 

His physician was a man with a very intense blue gaze that Seth hadn't seen around the penthouse before. Omegas were so rarely sick because of their excellent immune systems that Seth felt jostled and confused by the experience, being measured and assessed for most of the morning. 

"You're dehydrated," Dr. Angle said simply, watching Seth knead his temple, "You're going to start drinking three liters of water a day anyway." He motioned to an attendant. "Go get us some glasses."

Seth had always been fairly healthy and in peak physical condition. Aside from attending royal court meetings, he liked running and exercising, often with Finn or another omega that could keep up with his competitive nature. Despite this, it seemed that Dr. Angle was unimpressed. He scrawled away on a notepad, frowning under his mask. 

"Your hip measurement is small, your body fat is too low and you're slightly anemic," he critiqued. "You were  _ chosen _ , why didn't you start supplementing vitamins a month ago?" 

Seth just shrugged, feeling haughty and annoyed. Though he knew next to nothing about what to expect, he was sure that this man wasn't going to do a lot of hand holding. Any time Seth opened his mouth to ask a question, Dr. Angle began another test, hastening to find something else to scold Seth about. 

"We'll be bringing you three meals a day until the end of the month, then we'll test to see if you've conceived," Dr. Angle said quickly, zipping up his bag. "You need to eat all of the food we bring, don't just pick out the things you like. In the mornings, there'll be a vitamin supplement you'll need to take, and at night we'll bring you a drink before bed. Lots of water. Plenty of sleep, but only at night- just because you're in isolation doesn't mean you can just sleep the days away, you need to walk laps around the balcony or just otherwise occupy yourself."

"Okay," Seth said, exasperated. "Will I know that I'm pregnant though? Before-"

"Don't worry about it," Dr. Angle said, barely listening. "Just one day at a time."

Honestly, if Finn didn't visit him in the evenings, Seth was sure he wouldn't have much to look forward to. Though Seth was expressly forbidden to discuss what he was feeling or what his doctor had told him, it didn't stop him from complaining at length about the boredom of living his whole life confined to a single bedroom.

"You coul' start markin' your days down," Finn advised, after listening to Seth talk about how disorienting it had been to be trapped inside. "Tha' way you know how much time has passed."

"I knew it would be bad," Seth said woefully, "but I'll bet even prisoners get to move around prisons and go to different rooms."

He woke each morning with an attendant rousing him for breakfast and refreshing a huge jug of water that he was expected to empty by the end of the day. The food was perfectly portioned and almost always the same, down to the single contained pat of butter. Juice was always measured at two-thirds of the container and even salt and pepper was portioned, as nothing could be left over. 

Aside from using the bathroom almost constantly due to drinking so much extra fluid, Seth mostly just sat outside on his balcony, watching the sun move across the sky as he mindlessly spun his hair around his fingers or picked at his skin. When he'd asked for paper or a book to write or read, he'd been denied. There was nothing in the room that gave him entertainment or a hobby, and almost nothing was permitted to be given to him. 

So Seth daydreamed, thinking about Cesaro and all the time they'd spent together, the passionate lovemaking they'd engaged in, and what a life outside the walls of the palace could possibly entail. He tried to remain positive, thinking about how Cesaro had never gone back on a promise to help him with anything, but as the days went by, things seemed more and more bleak.

He began picking at his skin and biting his nails, combing his fingers through his hair obsessively and taking multiple baths a day. It wasn't until scratch marks began showing on Seth's arms that a nurse watched him almost non-stop for a week, scolding him any time he made to touch his skin. The surveillance was awful, and so Seth was quickly encouraged to stop the self destructive behavior. He substituted pacing and rocking, trying his best to show that he wasn't any sort of danger to himself, privately feeling as though he must be going mad.

The worst was the night time concoction that Seth was made to drink before bed. His attendants began watching him finish the tall glass after Seth had poured a serving off the balcony one night, and so he tried to drink it quickly, which made his stomach hurt. The taste was oily and thick, a sort of dairy mixture with a strange after taste. By the end, he usually felt sleepy, but too full to rest peacefully. 

Waking in the morning as the sun rose, Seth felt bloated and over-warm, without much of an appetite. There weren't any mirrors in the room, but he was sure he was holding onto most of the water he was ingesting. Every day, Seth eyed his waistline with suspicion and fear, wondering if he was thickening up due to being overfed or growing a baby in his womb. Laying down on the bed and palpating his abdomen, he was  _ sure _ something had to have taken root.

Two weeks after what Seth would have guessed his last heat would have fallen, Finn came to visit, smiling wide and nearly trembling with anticipation as they sat on the balcony. There was only so much time to talk, and quickly a note was passed between hands.

Seth's eyes widened as he unfolded the sheet of paper. Such communication was explicitly against the rules, so he quickly bit his lip to stop himself from screaming.

_ I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL AND YOU ARE NOT TOO TROUBLED, I WISH I WAS THERE WITH YOU AND I HOPE YOU DO NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED. IN THE COMING MONTHS, I WILL BE PREPARING A MEANS TO UNITE US. _

_ YOU ARE VERY BRAVE AND I LOVE YOU. _

Seth was unable to stop himself from screwing up his face, he stuffed his finger in his mouth to mute a sob. Finn patted his arm lightly.

_YOUR FRIEND IS MY FRIEND AND THEY WILL HELP US. PLEASE DO NOT KEEP ANY RECORD OF OUR CORRESPONDENCE._

YOUR GOOD FRIEND.

"He tol' me to take it back," Finn instructed, motioning quickly for the note. Seth's hands trembled, struggling with himself. He knew for his own safety he must, but it was hard. He'd almost given up hope that Cesaro would be able to help him, and the thought was so wonderful and terrifying it was confounding his ability to process things.

"He visits with me now," Finn said quietly. "I tell 'im you're alright. Do you want me to tell 'im anything back?"

"I _ love _ him," Seth choked, wiping his eyes. "I love him and I hate it here. I'm sure I'm pregnant, but I don't know yet exactly." He sniffed again. "I love him so much, I don't know if I can last that long though, I feel like I'm going insane…"

"You can do it Seff," Finn said, burying the scrap of paper in his robes. "Now 'ou know he's gonna help ya…"

It was a little easier to exist in such a small world knowing that Cesaro was trying to free him, and Seth tried to buck up and mindlessly accept the reality of feeling like a caged animal. At what he was told was the end of the fourth week, Seth was offered a shave and a lavender bath before his examination. Dr. Angle watched as stepped out of the scented pool and dried his hair with a thick towel.

"I think the baby is growing," Seth said, pressing his stomach flat where it had started to appear more rounded. Dr. Angle just shook his head.

"It's too early for that, it can't be," he said firmly, but still, Seth noticed a slight increment in the measurement of his waist as he was assessed again. Dr. Angle didn't seem to pay it any mind as he went about recording the information he received, regarding Seth carefully as he sat on the bed. 

"Any discomfort? Pain? Spotting in your urine?" the doctor asked, feeling Seth's throat and watching his expression with his icy cold stare.

"No... " Seth shook his head. "Is that... going to happen?"

"Don't worry about it," he said tersely, picking up his data. "We'll do a test at the end of next week."

It became more and more frustrating to simply accept being kept in the dark, but Seth began meditating more frequently to stave off the uncomfortable feeling of his heart beating too fast. One of his nurses had advised it when he'd started picking his skin, and at first Seth had been resistant. But, bored out of his mind with little else to do, he attempted the activity each night before bed after chugging his night time drink. If he laid down immediately after, he began feeling heartburn, and so he sat on the bed with his posture perfectly aligned, trying to empty his head. His thumbs smoothed circles against his bare knees, and he tried to breathe as deeply as possible, inhaling through his nose, filling his chest and his stomach, then exhaling out of his mouth, slightly gaped.

_ I can do this, _ he told himself. Seth had named all the birds that nested in the nearest tree to his balcony, and was finally feeling comfortable getting all of his water down for the day. Though he'd stopped speaking with most of his attendants, he hummed a lot of made up songs and spoke sentences out loud to himself to practice conversations. 

In his head, he'd already imagined a thousand lives, escaping the palace with Cesaro and living in a small house in some far off place where no one would bother them. Sometimes it was on top of a mountain, where he imagined looking to the bottom of a chasm where clouds obscured the rocks below. Sometimes, it was a tropical paradise, and huge parrots crowded the trees instead of the small brown birds that Seth came to know in isolation. Cesaro always kissed him on the forehead and called him something sweet, and Seth would bare his neck playfully, letting him nuzzle his collarbone.

It was difficult to imagine their child, but most of the time Seth imagined a little boy, free to explore and roam around their secluded home, just as Seth had done before he'd presented as an omega. Remembering his own childhood was difficult, but it had been happy and free for the most part.

Neither of Seth's parents had the money to send him off to a proper omega finishing school and no alpha would yield a substantial dowry for an omega that wasn't educated in etiquette, music or the arts. Until he was sixteen, Seth had worn thick woolen robes and tended his family's home while his brother and father worked the fields each day on their farm. omegas weren't allowed at school, as they tended to distract the other students, and because Seth's scent was particularly strong he stayed inside so he didn't arouse attention.

Living in isolation wasn't much different from his teenage years, as even at night, his parents forbid him wandering around their fields. Highwaymen and drifters often knocked on their door after picking up his scent, and Seth was scolded and locked in his room. Becoming a courtier had been his own idea, as he knew the only other option was a lonely life, taking care of his aging parents.

Seth hadn't spoken to them since, and he wondered now if they had known he had been the chosen omega for the solstice celebration. His family had never attended because it was so far away. They likely had no idea what was happening in his life and maybe even assumed he'd already born children for the kingdom.

It was a lonely life, but Seth was at least encouraged that he seemed to be doing everything correctly. Cesaro was going to help him and despite what Dr. Angle had said, Seth was sure the slight rounding of his belly was his baby resting comfortably inside his hips. Being an omega, he'd always been sure he'd have children, resigned to bearing offspring regardless of how he felt about it. It was tricky, and although he didn't know what to expect, Seth felt the beginnings of some sort of fondness for his baby. Massaging the area carefully, he recalled Cesaro's tender touch and tried to duplicate the sensation.

Seth eventually fell asleep, pillow tucked to his chest, dreaming grandly about the child as a declaration of Cesaro's love. He knew they would be together again and the baby would grow to know it's father. It simply had to be. Even in a world where Seth bore the new heir for the kingdom and lived a life of simple luxury, his existence would be wholly incomplete without his lover in the picture. Desperate for touch and contact, Seth fingered himself before dawn, waking early as his head was twinging a little too much to sleep. 

As the sun rose, he began to feel slightly sick, alternating positions as he felt confused. Nothing was comfortable and his skin itched strangely, constricting him. By the time his breakfast attendants arrived with food and a jug of water, Seth had moved to his bathroom area, sitting on the toilet, feeling woozy.

"You'll have to come out and eat soon," the attendant said against the locked bathroom door. Seth grimaced, unable to conceive of such an activity.

"I just… I just want to be left alone," Seth croaked, his throat jumping around his words. "I'm ill."

"If you're sick, you need to let us in," the attendant instructed. "We need to help you."

Weakly, feeling as though he was holding back vomit only by keeping his posture erect, Seth opened the door to meet the two assistants before nearly collapsing against the doorframe. He was sweating hard and he could feel his chest vibrating to heave.

After he puked twice, Dr. Angle arrived and helped him back to the bed. Seth felt like he was in a daze, mindlessly accepting a glass of water to his grip as sweat was toweled from his brow. A hand massaged just beneath his sternum until Seth whined, recoiling from the touch and shaking his head. Cold dread began to fill his body as he was sure something was going wrong with the baby and he'd likely be punished. 

In less than an hour, the King had arrived and Seth felt his heart beating against his chest, watching the man enter the space, looking calm, almost pleased about the situation. He sat on a chair in the corner, drinking a glass of wine as Seth was slowly stripped out of his loose shirt and Dr. Angle listened to his heart, slightly fixated on Seth's breast. After listening for a moment and regarding Seth with a rather pointed stare, the doctor mumbled a few words to the King that Seth couldn't hear. Quickly, the calm and happy tone of the room changed and the attendants left, leaving the three men alone in the room.

Seth felt sick again, watching the gazes of the men peer at Seth, eyeing his face and his belly as though they were trying to add something up. Sure he didn't want to break the silence, Seth swallowed hard, willing his guts to stop churning.

"By all the symptoms, it would seem that you're pregnant…" Dr. Angle began, coughing slightly and looking to Seth rather seriously. "The nausea you're experiencing is likely just typical sickness which occurs in the beginning of the gestation period… based on that and the fact you're… it looks like you're starting to show… I wouldn't doubt that you are, in fact pregnant."

Seth nodded, only slightly relieved. It confirmed what he had already thought and he was glad that there wasn't any danger, but didn't account for the intense stare that the King was giving him, looking over his knuckles, suspicious.

"The only… the only thing is," Dr. Angle said, stepping closer to Seth and dipping his chin, "Usually these things come up  _ later _ in the pregnancy. You're still just a little over a month… it's not…  _ impossible _ ."

"Though highly  _ unusual _ ," the King grunted, nodding to Seth. "So unusual I would like to make something clear to you Seth-" his voice wavered dangerously and Seth's eyes widened. "If there's some possibility that you were mated weeks before the celebration, if some other alpha-"

"N-no-" Seth choked, shaking his head quickly, feeling faint. "I didn't- there's no way-"

"It's a little soon to be this symptomatic," Dr. Angle said gravely. "I was surprised-"

"I don't know-" Seth lied breathlessly, shaking hard. The King and his doctor wouldn't stop staring and Seth's knees turned, his toes pointing inwards as he tried to hide. "I d-did everything you said- I d-didn't do anything that-"

King Helmsley launched himself forward and grabbed Seth's face, making him yell. Dr. Angle stepped back as Seth began to sob, trying to shield himself as best as he could without pushing back and earning any sort of punishment. 

"IF THAT CHILD-" King Helmsley screamed, just inches away from Seth's ear, "IF THAT BABY APPEARS TO BE ANYTHING LESS THAN A  _ DIRECT  _ DESCENDANT OF MYSELF OR THE COURT, I'LL DROWN THE BOTH OF YOU IN THE PENTHOUSE POOL! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"   


"YES!" Seth screamed. The King shook Seth by the chin, giving his neck a sharp pop.

"ARE YOU LYING TO ME?" he spat, flecks of spit hit Seth in the face. 

"NO! No your majesty-" Seth cried, cracking his eyes open a fraction. "P-please... I swear…"

"Test him," King Helmsley barked to Dr. Angle, releasing his hold on Seth and stepping away, still fuming as his raised voice seemed to continue bouncing off the walls. Dr. Angle hastened to pull out a small kit, holding a vial of water up to the light with a small needle.

"Just… I'm just pricking your finger. It's a test to see if you're pregnant," Dr. Angle explained, slightly jumpy, as Seth wiped his eyes, trembling and swallowing. He felt as though he wanted to throw up again, but his throat was just jumping uselessly, without any bite, making him hiccup pathetically. Seth barely felt the tiny needle break his skin and the doctor squeezed, pushing blood into the vial with a tiny scoop of amber powder.

"When it turns… well…" Dr. Angle sighed, watching as the vial turned scarlet sharply after just a few careful swirls. King Helmsley and Seth watched on tenterhooks as Dr. Angle shrugged, looking at the floor. "He's… he's pregnant, of course it can't say how  _ long _ -"

"I can take away  _ more _ privileges," the King continued, shooting Seth an evil look. "You don't have to have a bed. I can force feed you instead of letting you chew your own food. If necessary, I can make it so you don't see sunlight until this is over, you understand me?"

Seth just nodded, eyes shut tight. He had no way of making the King believe him, but he would never sell Cesaro out. Seth had no idea if they could possibly know- if the night they'd copulated before the ceremony had such an effect as to make Seth more physically developed. But despair grew in his chest as he knew that if the baby was indeed Cesaro's, it would be suspect for it's appearance. He was an idiot for thinking he could trick the King.

And then, the vial in Dr. Angle's grasp turned black and everyone was quiet again. Seth couldn't help falling into fresh tears, terrified. Sobs wracked his chest as Dr. Angle swirled the contents of the vial, thinking hard.

"It's the same, right?" he asked the King, staring. "The same as the initial test?"

"The fertility test turned… yes…"

Dr. Angle came to Seth's side and eased his arms down. Seth just tucked his face to his shoulder, expecting more manhandling. But the doctor examined his belly curiously, setting a hand over the slight round, thinking hard.

"It's… it's very early to say…" He swallowed, looking to the King. "But… I think there may be more than one baby…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think most of these chapters will be cliffhangers... Watch out for updates next week!


	3. Friends Where You Can Find Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth gets a full time attendant. Cesaro struggles to make a plan.

Cesaro hadn't slept well since leaving his lover in the royal palace and he had difficulty working during the day, unable to focus on processing accounting documentation between merchants and traders. He kept rubbing his eyes, staring out the window in the direction of the royal city, hoping that Seth was alright. To give himself some time to create a fool-proof plan, Cesaro's goal was to spring Seth free on the Equinox, which gave him until late October. In the meantime, he could work and try to get word through to his lover, but he was sure there wouldn't be a lot of sleeping that summer. 

Finn had told him he  _ looked _ okay, though he didn't seem to be enjoying the isolation period. It was hard not to sound suspicious, talking in low voices in the penthouse. Both men sat apart, decidedly separate and not scenting each other. Cesaro knew better than to press his luck, but he was desperate for any information.

"He said 'e loves ya' a lot, it's very hard for 'im," Finn said, pulling the wrapping off a toffee Cesaro had brought, secretly hoping Finn could pass them along to Seth. However, Finn assured him it was too dangerous and so they shared them, barely tasting the treats. "But, he says he t'inks he is pregnant. 'E looks healthy enuff." 

"You are very kind for doing this," Cesaro reminded him. "I hope Seth knows he has a very good friend. What... will you do when you're chosen?"

Finn just shrugged, shuffling his feet around in his sandals. Cesaro frowned, wondering if it was too personal a question.

"Hope for da best," Finn laughed. "Healthy baby and t'all dat. Not do nuthin' stupid like fallin' in love."

It all was rather stupid, and Cesaro wondered why he thought he could get away with smuggling a very smelly, pregnant omega out of the country without anyone knowing. He would need to bribe people, and it was dangerous, as the kingdom would likely offer much higher rewards for information than he could afford to outbid. They would have to travel with an awful lot of money on hand, which was incredibly dangerous, and Seth likely wouldn't be in much shape to travel for long distances across country.

Cesaro began pouring over maps to keep himself sane, ignoring logistical errors for the time being and thinking about distance and time in a way that could be measured in steps and days. Refugee routes through the outlying forest seemed the best option to disappear, but they were unregulated and it could prove difficult to conceal an omega's scent from people closeby. It almost seemed preferable to journey alone through the woods, but there were a lot of accounts of vicious animals that would likely be just as attracted to Seth's scent. 

Thinking practically, Cesaro bought a thick bow and a quiver of practice arrows, joining his close friend Sheamus at the range on summer nights where he could train his arm under the guise of being sociable. After a few weeks, he was a pretty decent shot. 

"You should come huntin' sometime!" Sheamus said excitedly, watching him pull his arrow from the target after a round. "Even if you was terrible, I'd be fun to get drunk inna tree with ya!"

"Maybe," Cesaro chuckled. "I'll let you know."

Halfway through planning a curving escape path through the woods, Finn relayed some rather troubling news that brought Cesaro's plans to a halt. Mouthing the words carefully, he had to lean in close to be heard, as Finn couldn't say the truth aloud.

"T'ere's more dan one," Finn breathed, looking over his shoulder. "More dan one baby."

"Twins?" Cesaro mouthed back, eyes wide. Finn shrugged, shaking his head.

"Maybe more… he dun' know…"

Twins or more was trouble, and Cesaro knew that there was no way he could drag Seth several kilometers into the woods away from any possible help. If the worst came to worst and Seth was sick or in mortal danger because of the babies, Cesaro was extremely unqualified to do anything about it. It would be better to risk all their lives by finding a doctor and hoping they didn't get reported. 

Back to square one, he examined his options carefully. If he wanted to shell out the money, he could purchase a coach with some horses to taxi them as far as he needed. But he couldn't very well park one at the palace and expect to not get caught. 

"E's gettin' really… big…" Finn explained by hushed whisper over tea on a visit in early August. "Dey still don't know… how many… but…" Finn drew an imaginary line around his own abdomen for a size comparison. 

"But how is he holding up?" Cesaro asked, heart sinking. "Tell him I'm trying… I'm putting something together, I'll have something to show for it very soon…" 

"As goo't as he can I guess," Finn said, looking to Cesaro sadly. "Dey don't tell 'im much about it… He's got'a helper wit' 'im all da time now so he can' say much to me…"

* * *

A few weeks after the king had visited, the tension had cooled and Dr. Angle became confident that more than one baby was growing in Seth's stomach. He was continuously sick and tired, waking midway through the night to cough up his bedtime drink, and often he was too woozy in the morning to make any headway with a meal. It had been torture at first, as his attendants stared at him dumbly, sure they'd be in trouble for returning Seth's food uneaten. But as soon as the doctor realized the difficulty of keeping his patient on track, he took up a new tactic.

"I'm assigning you a full time attendant, one that will share your living quarters and alert the medical staff if you're in need of care," Dr. Angle explained after taking Seth's temperature and shooting his belly a foreboding glare that was now a regular part of his visits. "He's not a nurse and he can't help you the way I can, but he'll get to know you and give your regular attendants leave during the night."

"He'll be here all the time?" Seth whined, eyebrows folding. "Why… why can't you just… give me  _ medicine _ ?"

"There isn't medicine that will help you, and you'd just puke it up anyway." Dr. Angle said coldly. "The man is a member of a penal colony and he's shown good behavior. If he makes advances toward you or makes you uncomfortable, you're to let your other attendants know and he'll be sent away. This can be a good chance for him to reform himself though, so be patient with him and allow him to help you."

Seth had no such ambitions to be gregarious with a stranger and hid on the balcony the moment the man arrived. He was terrified his regular meetings with Finn would be canceled and any plans he had to escape would be ruined by company. Cesaro's appearance was fading from his mind after so many weeks away, and the symptoms of his pregnancy were making him weak and similarly crazy to when he had first arrived. Seth began picking his fingernails, staring off the balcony, trying to breathe and hold himself together.

"Seth, this is Dean Ambrose." 

An attendant had slipped onto the deck with a man in beige linens and tawny, curly hair. Seth blinked before looking away again, determined not to be social. After a few moments where the man put his hands in his pocket and shrugged, Dean and the attendant returned inside and Seth let out a shuddering sigh. 

The two didn't talk for the rest of the day, even as Dean made himself at home with a small cot in the corner. The man didn't have many things, but he lounged, whistling obnoxiously and staring at Seth anytime his back was turned. 

Late at night, Seth hurled himself into the bathroom to vomit and Dean roused slowly, following him inside. Desperately, Seth kicked the door shut in his face and Dean swore, grunting.

"I think I'll get in trouble if I don't help you," he said against the door.

"I don't  _ care _ ," Seth cried, spitting into the toilet. "Go to bed, I don't need you."

This continued for a few days, usually with Seth and Dean splitting the unit between the balcony and the interior. Seth would puke and Dean would loiter outside the bathroom, stupidly. Seth's water cup would empty, and Dean would fill it, leaving it back where Seth had left it. If Seth left a candle glowing after he laid down, Dean elected to blow it out. 

That was, until Dean got tired of wearing his herb mask and tugged it down, exasperated. Seth blinked, staring at the man as though he'd gone crazy.

"Put it back," he demanded, sure that his scent was enough to overcome even Cesaro at that point. His slit was a leaking mess nowadays, mandating changes to his undergarments twice a day at least. Dean just snorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Stuff makes my nose itch." Dean sniffed, wiping his eye. "I'm not gonna go crazy and attack ya. You smell nice."

"It's rude." Seth frowned. "Aren't you supposed to do what I tell you?"

"Not… necessarily…" Dean said cooly. "I'm supposed to be here for like… a  _ really _ long time. Can't we just chill out? I've had to share space with plenty of antisocial creeps before, you don't gotta be one of 'em."

"I'd rather be alone." Seth pouted. "I was fine by myself."

"I'd rather be alone too." Dean murmured, scratching his head and lying in his cot. "Every time you puke it makes me wanna puke."

"So go sleep outside!" Seth scoffed. "I can just tell them to send them back to wherever you came from if I don't like you! I'll tell them whatever!"

"Look man, it'd be real nice of ya if you  _ didn't _ do that," Dean said seriously, sitting up. "They're just gonna send some other convict to babysit you. I don't wanna do this, but if I don't, I'm going back to a damn prison. You ever  _ been _ to prison?"

" _ This _ is a prison." Seth grit his teeth. Dean laughed loudly.

"You got damn foot lotion in here, this ain' no prison," Dean said loudly. "Prison is where you got freaks trying to jump you at every step and turn. You eat gruel and you sleep on a hard piece of wood. Sorry princess, but this is  _ heaven _ ."

Seth stared at the wall, determined to be upset. Dean lowered his voice and coughed.

"Look man, I can make this worth your while somehow. I gotta help a little bit so the nurses think I'm doing my job, but we can make this work. Can we agree that it's not in anyone's best interest to throw me back in jail?"

Seth didn't agree, but he didn't say anything. He pulled a pillow close to his chest and turned against the wall where he didn't have to look at Dean any longer. If Seth hadn't been pregnant and scared, he might actually be open to the possibilities of knowing the man, but all he wanted to do was be with Cesaro, far and away from where he was.

Waking for his usual night sickness in the middle of his sleep, Seth stumbled to the bathroom and heaved, coughing up a bit of his night-drink and stomach bile. Instead of pushing his foot against the door, he allowed Dean to peek inside. His face looked grouchy and tired, but he lit a candle and slowly approached Seth, pulling his hair back and sitting against the tub.

After a few minutes, Dean went to get a glass of water, setting it on the floor as a simple offering. Eyes shut against the light, Seth drank, leaning on the toilet, exhausted. 

"Can you break us out of here?" Seth asked hoarsely, pushing a stray hair out of his mouth and squinting at Dean sadly. "If you could leave, if you could go any place in the world, where would you go?"

Dean was quiet for a moment, leaning on his knees, thinking. 

"I love this girl named Renee," he explained, his voice much quieter and sadder than Seth had heard it before. "I stole a bunch of money and left it with her. I dunno if she still loves me, but I love her a lot." Dean scratched his beard. "I dunno where she lives now or anything…"

Dean didn't ask Seth for his answer, but eventually, he assisted in pulling Seth off the floor and helping him back to the bed. Lying and thinking, Seth rubbed at his belly, wondering if all hope really was lost. If he could convince Dean to help him escape, then maybe they could both find their lovers...

Dr. Angle began visiting almost every week now, regarding Seth carefully and taking precise measurements of his belly. With some sort of algorithm and analysis of other omegas, there seemed to be some hope that the doctor could discern the number of babies Seth was carrying. It seemed like everyday, no matter how sick he felt, his waist was widening substantially. Seth's skin itched and only liberal amounts of lotion could assuage his discomfort. But, as always, Dr. Angle was hesitant to tell him anything.

"We won't know until later," he said simply, anytime Seth asked about the babies. Dean watched from the corner, mildly interested as the doctor concluded his examination and left. Seth sat, staring at his feet over his bump, wondering when he'd lose his view of them. 

"You never popped a kid out before?" Dean asked, watching Seth kick his feet lightly, bored. 

"No, I was the chosen omega," Seth said, raising an eyebrow. "Do you have  _ any _ idea what's going on?"

"Not… with you…" He shrugged. "All they told me was that I had to care take an omega that was pregnant. You some kinda prince?"

"No, just… just a courtier.  _ Former _ courtier," Seth explained. Dean still looked confused. "A member of the court? I was chosen for the solstice celebration. C'mon!"

"Not ringin' a bell." Dean laughed. "So you had sex once and you got knocked up with a bunch of kids? That's  _ harsh _ ." 

"I had sex with the royal family, as per tradition," Seth said haughtily. "One of my children could be the next King or  _ Queen _ ." 

" _ Wowwwww _ ," Dean said sarcastically. Seth threw a pillow at him and he laughed, catching it. "Nah, heh, that's wild. Childbirth is crazy though, I hope it doesn't split you in half."

"Split me in half?" Seth went white and Dean raised an eyebrow.

"Not… literally… I mean." He shrugged. "You might like, tear a lil or something…" Dean laughed awkwardly. "You don't know shit, do you?"

"What do you know?" Seth asked. "Tell me everything!"

"Uh...they sorta told me  _ not  _ to," Dean said, grimacing. Seth stared hard and Dean chuckled again. "Okay, look,  _ promise  _ not to blab?"

As it turned out, Dean had actually helped deliver babies in very random situations. The two sat on the balcony, discussing his experiences away from listening ears. Dean described at length the process for assisting two different women, both refugees, who were alone and going into labor without any shelter. Mostly the stories were just about fetching water and keeping watch, but Dean was able to describe the scenarios with enough detail to make Seth's stomach turn.

"They was just beta women though, I dunno about your... set up," Dean said quickly, drinking from his own water glass and nodding to Seth's stomach. "Plus more babies and all- I haven't seen that. How pregnant are you?"

"I dunno, just since the solstice?" Seth shrugged. Dean's eyes widened.

"Damn, okay…"

"What?" Seth's heart raced.

"You're gonna be  _ huge _ ."

"Shut up!"

Having Dean around turned out to be a blessing in disguise for most days. Seth was still very wary and was forced to keep his conversations with Finn very brief, but he was almost positive Dean would be similarly interested in escaping. Though he never forgot Cesaro and their plan, Seth was able to relax some and try to focus his attention by the hour. His sickness still fluctuated, causing him to stop pacing or standing to hover over the toilet on occasion, but Dean made himself useful without being too annoying.

As Seth's stomach began to round wider and occupy the majority of his lap, his lower back quickly began to throb and his feet began to swell. After a lot of whining and struggling to find a comfortable position, Dean put his hand on Seth for the first time, patting his shoulder. 

"If it's not… weird…" He coughed, smoothing the surface. "I  _ can _ rub your back. They told me I should if I knew what I was doing, but not to mess with you. Obviously." 

Seth moaned, hugging a pillow at the side of the bed as Dean massaged oil against his skin, working against the soreness. A back massage quickly became a foot massage that became a belly rub and Seth lay, humming happily as Dean sat beside him, slightly mesmerized by the tension of his stomach. 

Much to Dean's chagrin, Seth was quick to demand the attention on a daily basis and despite their initial touchiness, the two became unlikely friends. Picking a few leaves off the trees near the balcony, Seth rubbed the plants against his wrists for a minute, careful not to crush them.

"What are you doing?" Dean laughed, watching as he was handed the leaves after Seth rubbed them.

"It's a scent blessing, it's for good luck," he explained. "They smell good and you can put them in a herb mask or a shoe, it promotes good health."

"I smell you all the time and we're locked up," Dean laughed. "I don't need this."

All the same, he pocketed the little leaf and Seth watched him later that evening, lazily balancing the plant on his nose, breathing it in with a dopey expression on his face.

During the day, Seth tried thinking of ways he could tell Dean about Cesaro and his need to escape. It wasn't easy, and he still wasn't sure if Dean would accept it or not, but after a rather damning visit with Dr. Angle, Seth knew he couldn't wait much longer. Measuring around the circumference of his frame one last time, Seth watched Dr. Angle take note, frowning as he wrote a large  **_3?_ ** at the bottom of the paper. Seth swallowed, feeling as though he was falling down a dark pit.

Seth had never held a single baby before, let alone three. It was likely impossible. He only had two breasts as well. How was he going to give birth to triplets? 

"Are you alright?" Dr. Angle asked, observing his shocked expression. Dean raised his head from the corner. Seth had a vivid picture of all three babies, stuck, trying to be born at the same time.

"It's hot in here," Seth said softly, rubbing his cheek. Dean stood up and opened the door to the balcony, letting in a breeze. 

"Right, well," Dr. Angle said, standing up. "I'm making food available to you throughout the day should you chose to eat between meals, and I'd like you to start elevating your feet as much as possible to reduce swelling." He stuck the sheet of paper in his bag and grabbed the rest of his examination tools. "I'll be looking for a specialist to come and help you stretch during the day as well. Birthing more than one baby will be very difficult and if you're not able to do it yourself, the intervention will be rather painful…"

Seth nodded mindlessly, barely hearing what the doctor was saying. He was feeling sick again and he just wanted the man to leave.

"...When they come, do as they say and practice in the evenings instead of pacing. Dean will tell me if you are doing it correctly or not."

"Right," Dean said, not entirely convincing. Seth nodded again and Dr. Angle left, the door snapping shut behind him.

Seth exhaled hard and Dean got him a glass of water, watching with a sort of patient understanding. The room was quiet and the trees could be heard rustling softly outside, but Seth's mind was a storm of activity and chaos. Knitting his fingers together on the underside of his belly, he could hardly imagine there was room for three inside.

"Three," Seth said simply. "He wrote three,  _ three  _ babies."

"Really...? He could be wrong," Dean scoffed. "How is anyone that fertile?"

"I'm lucky it's not more," Seth breathed, unable to be properly gracious. "I don't… I don't think I can survive that. I haven't heard of anyone doing that, have you?"

"N-no." Dean shook his head. "I mean, you've got like, the best care you can buy, yeah? That whole… that whole scare tactic about… interventions…"

Dean didn't continue and Seth's hands began to shake. He struggled to breathe, taking a sip off his water glass. He was going to die birthing the babies. He'd die and they'd be castouts, maybe even left to die themselves or orphaned out in some sort of home. Cesaro might never know. 

"I don't want to be here," Seth said simply, eyes wide and staring at the floor. "We have to leave."

"You said it," Dean sighed, whistling lowly and staring at the ceiling.

"No, I _ mean  _ it, we have to go. I'm going at least, even if you won't," Seth said, determined. 

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? How's that going to work?"

"I don't know," Seth said stupidly. "I have people on the outside, people that want to help me. If we could get out of here, would you? You wouldn't rat me out…"

"I wouldn't rat you out," Dean assured him, sitting up and biting his lip. "But… I'm not doing something stupid like jumping off the roof and hoping I don't get caught… I watched plenty of dudes try to dig their way out of jail and they always messed it up. If you know what you're doin',  _ maybe _ I'd do it."

Seth sighed, putting his hands on his belly and feeling it carefully. Cesaro hadn't told him any semblance of a plan, but he was getting too scared to wait much longer. With more people in on the plan, problems would be sure to arise, but Seth knew Dean was a crafty person. Aside from having a good intuition for things, he was also fairly muscular and fit. Really, Seth was the weakest link.

"Why do you even want to go so bad?" Dean asked, confused. "You got everything you need here. You got doctors that'll watch you. Maybe the establishment here is a lil' strict, but I'll tell you sweetheart, it's not much better out there-" He pointed out the balcony, to the world at large. "You're an omega, a pregnant as _ hell _ omega that'll attract everyone around. If you're carryin' heirs to the throne, don't you think people'll come after you?"

The room was quiet as Seth continued to gaze down at his belly. Nothing his attendant said was wrong. It was all very stupid and maybe even impossible, but if Dean didn't want to risk failure, Seth understood.

"My babies… they're…" Seth licked his lips, trying to find his words. "They're not really heirs… I…"

Dean's eyes widened and Seth coughed, struggling. 

"There's… there's this man with brown eyes and he's tall…" he continued, monotone. "Everyday, when I was a courtier... he brought me coffee and candy…"

* * *

Cesaro was at the end of his rope.

Three visits to the penthouse and all Finn could tell him was that Seth was mostly silent. He was assured that his lover still did long for him and that an escape was all he was hoping for, but the presence of the attendant sharing his quarters had scared him off of any planning to leave. 

Waking in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, Cesaro considered just stopping the whole thing altogether. It wasn't worth risking all their lives to selfishly keep his lover close and still, with just a month before the equinox, there was no plan. After steadying himself and fetching a glass of water to drink, Cesaro calmed, staring up at the royal city, shaking his head.

He loved Seth, more than he’d ever loved anyone else. There was little in his life that meant more to him than the thought of being reunited with the dam of his children and Cesaro would throw his life away if it meant that Seth was safe and secure with their babies. It made no sense, and it caused him great fear and anxiety, but it was something he was sure of. 

In his dreams, the same brown eyes stared back at him, bright and sure and honest, lighting up at the sight of him. It seemed like years since the time where he'd been able to visit the penthouse with a treat in hand and nuzzle the man's neck. The smell, thick and lush, filling his head and leaving him tingly. Imagining Seth now, probably scared and lonely, itched at Cesaro's skin and made his heart race. 

He'd do it, he'd rent a string of coaches if he had to, swapping them out to throw the lawmen of their trail. Cesaro could hide himself after the penthouse closed and Finn would likely assist him somehow in finding Seth's room. If worst came to worst, he'd assault whatever attendant he'd have to in order to make sure Seth could come freely and they'd make a break for it… or something…

He started working out more, if only for the stillness it gave his mind. In the evenings, he went to the library and looked into tomes and volumes about concealment, self defense and lock picking. Before he went to the penthouse on the weekend to see if Finn could give him any news, Cesaro walked in the gardens that surrounded the castle. The flowers were starting to fade as summer was ebbing into autumn, but he didn't look too suspicious admiring the grounds and taking notes of the windows and sidewalks around the courtyards. The royal stable was open and a few horses were being hitched to a coach and Cesaro watched, lost in thought. Behind the stables, a dirt road led into the woods and around a corner and out of sight, probably winding along the perimeter of the castle. It was probably worth checking on, especially if there weren't any guards at the end of it. 

Finn wasn't much help with any information about escape routes or secret getaways. It was surprising, but it seemed that no omega had had any ambitions to leave before. Seth had been unique in that he was the only one that ever left the floor of the penthouse to see the court and the other parts of the palace. Expecting to hear the same disheartening news from Finn as he had the whole last month, Cesaro walked into the castle slowly, taking in the architecture. 

He tried to interest himself with any details that could aid an escape. Attendants, politicians, visitors and security walked with purpose around the floor, not particularly interested in the banker that came so regularly. For a moment, Cesaro wondered if it would be best to don some sort of disguise if he was going to be successful in keeping his identity a secret.

Entering the lush warm environment, Cesaro sat in his usual seat under a shady palm, watching other omegas and guests nuzzle and converse. Checking his pocket watch, Cesaro realized he had arrived a little later than usual, but Finn was nowhere in sight.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, Cesaro was about to take a lap and see if Finn had changed their meeting spot, but he saw the small omega coming down the cobbled path, grinning and holding his robe around his shoulders as he came over. Cesaro stood, heart lightening as Finn nodded, looking more optimistic and excited than he'd been in weeks.

"We shou' walk," Finn said softly, "jus' so we're not heard."

They circled the penthouse, and Finn pulled himself closer, under the guise of pretending to allow Cesaro to scent him. Leaning down, Cesaro cocked his ear to the side, listening.

"Goot news," Finn muttered, "gut you gottah help his attendant escape too-"

"Say again?" Cesaro frowned. Finn stopped, licking his lips.

"Dey are making a plan, Seth and his attendant, Dean," Finn explained, barely mouthing the words. No one was watching them, but Cesaro tried to conceal his look of confusion. "Ur gonna need a lotta concealer an't onna da uniforms dat de cleaners wear…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, i got the Equinox and the Solstice mixed up- so if you're reading this and you're like... "There's a Spring and Fall Equinox and a Summer and Winter Solstice..." You're right! I fucked it up haha.


	4. A Break For It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth, Dean and Cesaro make their move.

Dean had only been sure in his own scheme for Seth's lover to sneak in and dress like a janitor because he'd seen a janitor when he had arrived at the palace and knew that they often carried large carts around for waste disposal and cleaning.

Seth had never seen a janitor before and could only blindly trust his attendant. 

The two began meeting with Finn and discussing possibilities before nightfall, with Cesaro's own ideas communicated back with the other omega. All in all, nobody seemed particularly confident and everyone was becoming anxious, but Seth was determined to leave and nobody could refuse him, despite the odds.

He kept telling himself that as soon as he was with Cesaro, everything would be better. He would be free and away from the people that treated him like some sort of stock animal, more intent on checking his crotch, prodding his belly or feeling his pulse than answering his questions. Dean was fun to talk with and excellent at giving massages, but Seth's slit was swollen and sensitive for touch only Cesaro could assist him with. 

"Man, what're you doing?" Dean asked one afternoon, voice hoarse from the other side of the bathroom door. All morning, Seth had been fidgeting with his undergarments, sure he was leaking on any surface he sat on. Belly round and unwieldy, he could barely see what was happening around his little cock. Sitting on the bathroom toliet and fingering himself viciously, Seth had thought Dean was still sitting out on the balcony.

"I'm okay," Seth managed, blushing. He squawked as Dean  cracked the door open, leaning forward to hide himself. Dean swore, laughing and running back. The scent was probably enough to be picked up several doors down. 

Pregnancy was bizarre and frankly awful. Seth had no idea what his isolation period would be like with just one baby, but the discomfort was pushing him to his limit. He was puking at least twice a day, and even with his meals being changed and re-portioned, it seemed there was little that Dr. Angle could help him with. 

One morning, Seth threw up two times in the span of twenty minutes and sat at the toilet until noon, unable to muster up the will to stand and make his way to the bed. Dean sat with him in the bathroom, trying to get him to drink water and eat something, but it seemed to be no use. 

"I'll go get someone," Dean said, rising to stand. Seth whimpered, shaking his head and screwing up his face. "Look Seth, you need some kinda help, I'm sorry…"

Dean returned, nearly laughing, in about ten minutes. Emotional and distraught, Seth's mood quickly turned to anger, thinking Dean was making fun of him.

"No- hey." Dean straightened his face, looking to Seth seriously and pointing back at the door, which remained ajar. He whispered quietly, barely mouthing. "There was no one out there for  _ a while _ . I had to walk… there's like no security!" 

It brightened the mood a little as Seth was examined. It seemed that all they could do was substitute meals for a sort of replacement drink with crackers. Which, aside from usually tasting awful, made Seth feel bloated and gave him heartburn. Dean rubbed his feet or massaged his scalp, babbling about anything from prison life to his childhood, growing up in the slums.

"You should try again at night," Seth recommended once he'd pulled himself together, laying at a slight incline with his hands resting on his bump. "See if there are people watching the room after dark."

Seth ended up puking uncontrollably again right before bed anyway, so Dean, under the guise of looking for help, took his fine time to explore the immediate surroundings of the room, checking for details that could assist an escape. Returning in twenty minutes with an attendant, Seth accepted some soothing tea and then waited up with Dean, discussing what he had seen. It seemed that disguising Cesaro as a worker was really the only way to get a headstart out of the palace.

However, as the Equinox grew closer, Finn began to get nervous, meeting infrequently as more and more details were planned between Seth, Dean and Cesaro. As the only link between all three men, Finn feared for his own safety and Seth couldn't blame him. He'd been chosen for the next year and no one had any way of knowing how the other omega might fair when his predecessor and close friend was suddenly a fugitive.

With just a few weeks until the planned escape, Finn broke down. Everyone was stressed out, but it was becoming apparent that the other omega could no longer participate.

"'M sorry, I really am," Finn cried, wiping his nose on his wrist and shaking. "I wan' ya' to be happy, I jus' can't,"

It struck a blow to Seth to no longer receive word from Cesaro, and in no time he was crying as well, emotionally exhausted, sick and nauseous with worry and indigestion. Gravely, Dean tried to comfort him as best as he could.

"He might'a ratted us out if we pushed him, it's for the best," Dean said, fingers trembling slightly from the raw energy in the air. Seth blew his nose, exhaling sharply and wincing at a cramp in his side. 

"I'll miss him so much…" Seth rasped, unable to stop himself from shaking. "H-how are we going to do all this now?"

"Your guy already has all the details. It's going to happen." Dean sighed, trying to assure him as much as possible, rubbing his hand down his shoulder. "We just needa make sure we keep track of the days... and hope for the best."

It was difficult to sound confident though, and Seth couldn't stop himself from crying and shaking, stirring up his stomach and feeling lousy all night. Dean paced, rubbed Seth's feet and did pushups, but as time grew short, neither felt much like talking. It was hard to tell if it was just the pregnancy taking it's toll or the stress of the situation, but Seth began to look thin and tired, eyes grey and sunken in his skull. 

"Stop that," Dr. Angle snapped, pulling Seth's fingers away from picking his lips as he was examined. Seth just dropped his hand, staring into space as his knee began to jiggle. He hoped this was the last time he would have to see the man. Seth winced as he squatted slightly on the floor, feeling Dr. Angle press his slit open for inspection, his hands as cold and intrusive as ever.. 

Dean sat on the other side of the room, sporting an herb mask and staring outside. The weather was getting cold now as the Equinox drew close.

"You need to eat, even if you don't feel like it," Dr. Angle said for perhaps the tenth time. "You might feel nauseous, but you can't starve yourself."

Seth didn't even answer, struggling to heave a sigh. He felt as though the babies had crammed into his lungs. The dissociative apathy he was used to entertaining around the doctor was battling with the feeling that everything was crumbling around him. Cesaro, Dean, himself and his babies were all going to be killed for treason, he  _ knew _ it.

"If you can't keep your weight up until the next appointment, we might have to discuss some unsavory options," Dr. Angle said firmly, staring Seth down with the determination of a bulldog. His eyes flicked up to Dean for a moment, snapping him to attention. "Let's make this happen."

Seth couldn't make it happen, he immediately puked once the doctor left and was wracked with sobs, laying on the floor, hiccuping and crying. At this point, he felt like nothing was real. Cesaro's face was hazy in his mind and he felt as though his whole year had been a surreal blur of pain and suffering. He didn't want to go back to being a courtier, and he sincerely believed that the escape plan wouldn't work. Even if it did, he couldn't imagine what it would be and some part of him wondered if Cesaro wouldn't just panic and put off the whole operation. 

Seth would be killed or die in childbirth. It was just useless. 

Dean opened the door with a creak, peering in.

"I want to  _ die _ ," Seth sobbed, leaning on the toilet seat, hysterical. "T-there's… n-no w-way this is g-going to w-work-"

Dean shut the door softly, looking grim but calm as he sat down beside Seth the way he did almost everyday, anticipating his moods. Rather than leaning away, Seth threw himself into the man's lap, burrowing as much as he could with his wide belly, sobbing so hard he could barely breathe.

"Easy," Dean sighed, stroking his hair. Seth just shook his head, breaking down. This close together, Seth's smell was overbearing, thick, and immutably miserable. To Dean, the feeling wasn't unlike swallowing on a sick throat. He grimaced, running his hands through Seth's brown locks, trying to calm him as best as he could.

'W-would you stop me?" Seth asked, sniffing hard. "Would you stop me from j-jumping off the b-balcony?"

"Yeah," Dean laughed darkly, wiping his nose on his wrist. "Yeah, don't do that."

Seth shook hard, trying earnestly to breathe. He turned, feeling the weight of his babies, stuffed up his abdomen. 

"This is gonna be the shittiest time," Dean said, looking down into Seth's enormous wet eyes. "When we gotta just wait to git."

"Dean…" Seth choked, still wiggling, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Dean… do you  _ really _ think we can pull this off? Do you really think-"

"I dunno. I don't, okay?" Dean said, grabbing a soft rag to press to Seth's wet and snotty face. "I'm just… Well… I'm not as shook up as you, but… it's hard, yeah? But fuck, if we can get out of here and make a break for it… I already told you I wouldn't do it if we didn't have a chance."

"Will you stay with me?" Seth asked, kneading the top of his stomach sharply, trying to shove it down. "Will you help?"

Seth felt his already frantic heart beat faster, watching Dean's face as his lips became a thin line. Dean exhaled, his hands rubbing Seth's scalp carefully. It was hard, and Seth could tell his scent was making everything worse, but Dean put a hand on his belly, thinking.

"I got a life I wanna live but I don't know where I'm supposed to be," he said quietly, relaxing back an inch to rest against the wall. "I won't run without tellin'. Plus I'm pretty sure if I left you my brain would fry from not being able to smell you all the goddamn time." 

It was a very Dean answer, flighty and silly, but Seth breathed a little easier. With a strange fluttering rustle, he could feel kicks at the top of his belly, and graciously one of the babies began to shift, giving Seth some breathing room. He's been unsure of the sensation before, but now Seth was positive the movement was a baby resettling.

"You… feel?" Seth asked. Dean raised an eyebrow, watching as Seth temporarily forgot his misery to clutch around the bottom of his rib cage. 

"What?"

"I think one of them moved," he explained, sniffing and trying to compose himself again. 

"Weird," Dean chuckled, withdrawing his hand and touching his own fingers, mystified.

During the last days leading up to the escape, the only way Dean could comfort Seth was rubbing his back and repeating the plan out loud like a mantra. Seth was to take a bath the night of and clean himself as thoroughly as possible to try to keep his scent as low-key as he could. Dean would bathe shortly after, but only after rinsing out the tub as thoroughly as he could manage. Then, they would both layer up in new robes and Seth would knot his hair and cover it so it would be more difficult to scent. 

Cesaro, for his part, was supposed to already be past security, hiding in the dining area off of the penthouse well after the time that meetings with courtiers were allowed. Once inside, he would just have to avoid the evening attendants and get to the janitor's supply room he'd located after poking around during regular hours. Inside, there were uniforms Cesaro could quickly slip into, and two times out of three there had been a large laundry cart that could easily fit two men inside, covered by lots of towels or other laundry.

After he had his disguise, all he had to do was get to Seth's room and quickly get him fitted to escape. Cesaro had already managed to make up a large container of concealer, and soaked a blanket in the mixture for several days. Once he and Dean were in place to be smuggled, Cesaro would have to make his way out, which was the trickiest part to get correct, because he didn't know exactly how the service hallways of the palace worked, but he did have maps proving they existed. 

Cesaro didn't know which doors were locked, which scared the hell out of him. If he could find keys, he'd pocket them, and after learning some tricks out of books, he could break down a door if it wasn't too heavy. If worst came to worst, he could threaten someone or beat them senseless to escape. Cesaro didn't want to rely on his own fight response, though.

The carriages outside in the stables were his best bet, and enough custodial staff were out back that Cesaro hoped the guards wouldn't notice him moving around and putting a horse to a cart. There were three carriages that didn't get much use, and Cesaro hoped he could pick a pair of horses that weren't owned by anyone so important that he and Seth would be murdered outright if they were caught.

Then, they just needed to get out as quickly as possible and Cesaro hardly knew what route was smartest anymore. After Finn had politely told him that he was feeling uneasy about their associations, Cesaro had a few panicked days where he was very unsure and restless. After a pint with his friend Sheamus where he nervously gushed about Seth and the plan, his friend had offered some assistance.

"Well, you know I live out of that nice royal perimeter they like to police ever so well." He grinned, patting Cesaro on the back. "If ya make it out alive and don't bring the cavalry wit' ya, you can stay wit' me. I ain' never gunna say no to havin' omegas over, even if they're pregnant as all hell. It'll only drive up the property value, yeah?"

"If we  _ aren't  _ bringing the cavalry." Cesaro mumbled darkly. The refugee road would likely be too packed to ride along in a palace from the carriage. It was a really great way to get all of their things stolen and get Seth turned into the authorities. 

When the Equinox finally came, Cesaro was a mess. He puked in the morning and felt as though he was on the verge of tears all day, walking around his empty apartment, eating frugal meals and triple checking his bag of belongings. He'd given up everything he had for Seth and this escape, converting everything he owned to money and, in a lot of ways, preparing himself to be captured and likely executed. Until they were reunited and Cesaro had Seth and his children, he knew he couldn't be optimistic. 

There was a chance he'd live the rest of his life looking behind his back for the law. But Cesaro knew well enough that it was preferable to living with the guilt of leaving Seth and his probable offspring to be abused and discarded. He wanted a family, Cesaro knew that even now, he still loved Seth and wanted to prove it. The night they had shared before the solstice was the most intense act of intimacy he'd ever committed to and he ached to feel it again. 

He had to remind himself of this several times as he sat in a storage room in the palace, hunched in hiding with his knees throbbing angrily from the uncomfortable position he was forced to hold for hours on end. The whole time, Cesaro's heart beat rapidly, his mind exaggerating every little sound and every second he wasn't found making his blood pressure increase. He waited and waited, until all the noises from the penthouse died and the lights went out and all the extra shuffling of doors and feet were silenced. Then he made his move.

Walking on tiptoe with a hand against the wall to help him find his way, he cut through the blackness with intent, his heart beating in his throat any time he opened a door, expecting a knife in his face. Twice he heard attendants across the room from him, collecting dishes and trays from evening meals. A janitor was already collecting hand towels and tossing them in Cesaro's intended cart. 

He stripped, finding the appropriate clothes, hands shaking so hard it was difficult to get his legs into the linen grey pants. His ankles showed and his chest was much too large to comfortably fit the shirt, but Cesaro breathed hard, trying to keep calm and think.

_ Keys, _ he thought, his eyes dashing around the surface of the workbench in the room, hoping for a keyring. There was one on the table and Cesaro grabbed it, wincing as he heard the jingling. It would have to be okay.

Pushing the cart along, he wanted to cry, hearing the squeaky front wheel catching the floor awkwardly. He hadn't ever thought to try to push the cart when he'd inspected it previously, making sure it was an appropriate size. Desperate, he kicked the caster, but it didn't yield any more movability. 

By the time he got to what he was told was Seth's door, he felt faint, praying he'd remembered correctly. Finn had said the fifth door… But one door looked smaller than the others, like a sort of closet. Surely that didn't matter, right? It was the fifth door on the right side…. Or was it the left…

Sure he would either be correct or dead, Cesaro swallowed, parking the cart and reaching for the doorknob. With a turn, he opened the door, face white and eyes staring.

"Oh… hey…"

A man with blonde sandy hair and blue eyes looked out at him and Cesaro shook hard, prepared to slam the door in his face and run. But it occurred to him suddenly that it could be Seth's attendant and suddenly the scent under his nose clicked. He heard Seth before he saw him, a faint sob echoing out as a brunette blur shot into his arms, quaking and crying hard.

"Seth, Seth….  _ Seth _ ..."

Seth just wailed, little cries popped out the corners of his mouth before he could stifle them and Dean sprinted to shut the door, flapping his arms. Cesaro buried his face in Seth's neck and took a breath, suddenly feeling lighter than air, safe and worry free.

"We need to go, we need to  _ go _ ," Dean hissed, slapping them both and shaking. "Great to meet you man but we need to be  _ gone _ ." 

"Seth, sweetheart," Cesaro sniffed, holding his lover's head and pulling him up. "Goodness-"

Seth's belly was huge and weighty, and Cesaro hadn't quite taken it in as Seth had rushed to him bent over. Seeing him standing up to his full height, Cesaro had to blink. He had been sure that his lover would appear changed, but the sight was still a little alarming. Seth's face was rounder and his chest appeared more full. Less long and perky than he'd been before, he looked plush and stood with a wider gait, feet fanned out to allow for the shift in his balance. 

He'd forgotten that triplets meant, well, more than one… As soon as he was over the initial shock of seeing his lover again, he was suddenly terrified the cart would be too small.

"Where's the concealer?" Dean barked, running circles around them, immune to the emotional scene. "We need to move, c'mon!"

Cesaro checked up and down to make sure no one was in the hall as he fitted the cart inside the room, pulling out his bag and grabbing the container of concealer he'd smuggled inside. Grabbing great handfuls in his palm, Dean began globbing them all around Seth's neck before Cesaro could notice.

"Too much!" He seized the container from Dean's hands. "Just a little! He could be sick!"

"You do it then," Dean snarled, grabbing laundry out of the bin in order to make room. Cesaro carefully scooped up the excess, making sure not to rub it too thoroughly against his lover's skin. The recipe he'd gotten wasn't perfect, but they had little time now.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't come," Seth continued to babble, sitting, hands under his stomach, petting himself anxiously as Cesaro bit his lip and dabbed concealer down Seth's chest. "I was afraid you'd just… forget… or be too scared… and then… I d-didn't know what I'd d-do…"

"It's okay, it's okay," Cesaro urged, kissing Seth on the mouth and enjoying the tingling sensation he felt from doing so. "I'm here, we cannot cry right now. Okay?" 

But Seth had real difficulty following any sort of direction or handling the sudden sense of urgency. Dean immediately hopped into the cart, swinging back and forth in the fabric bottom. Seth required assistance, holding his stomach and trying to ease his leg over the lip of the cart. 

"Oh, it smells," Seth sniffed, stuffing his hands to his face as Cesaro began to heap towels and extra laundry over them. His heart began to pound again as he was entirely unsure how long they'd been in the room. Any moment now, he could be hearing an alert of some sort.

"Lean back," Dean urged, pulling Seth close and assisting Cesaro with effectively burying them. In no time at all, the cart had been refilled with laundry and there was only the faintest movement of Seth whining and trying to find fresh air. 

"We're going," Cesaro urged, tapping the cart and trying to take deep breaths. "Please be as quiet as you can…"

Seth coughed and Cesaro bit his lip, hearing Dean do something retaliatory. It wasn't perfect at all, but the drag of the cart on the floor and the momentum of the pace seemed to mask most of their noises. Cesaro only had to make his way to the service door and then use a lift to get down to the main floor where there was an exit that led outside. Because of his poor sense of smell, it was difficult to say if his concealer was working properly. Cesaro could only hope that Seth's odor was strongest in the room where he was staying and they wouldn't be given away. 

"Hey! How long were you going to be, you think?"

Cesaro's whole body went numb and he stopped, dead in his tracks. At the other end of the hall, a worker was standing and Cesaro couldn't make out their face, but judging by the barely illuminated silhouette, they were wearing the same janitor's garb.

Inside the cart, Seth and Dean were pindrop still and silent. Breath caught in their throats. 

"J-just, a little more time," Cesaro said stupidly, praying his voice might be similar to whoever the worker thought he was. He was sure it probably wasn't loud enough to be heard, but the person just waved their arm, nodding. 

"Okay, I need the cart when you're done!"

The answer seemed fine enough and Cesaro slumped against the cart as soon as they'd walked back around the corner. Quickly, sure he had no other choice, he threw open the door, slamming the cart through fast enough where it wouldn't catch. 

The hallway was also barely lit, but held none of the palace charm. The air was thick and warm and smelled vaguely sour, obviously only used for workers or low level employees. No one was around and Cesaro winced as Seth coughed again, apparently unable to contain himself. 

"Hmmm hmmm," Cesaro hummed, walking fast down the hallway and peeling his eyes for a sign or indication for the lift. The floor sloped and slanted underfoot and the cart squeaked loudly, careening off it's straight trajectory on the uneven surface. Twice, the cart bumped the wall, muffling the laundry. Any time Cesaro thought to apologize, his voice caught in his throat and he held back, sure that someone would jump out and interrogate him.

" _ Cesaro _ ," he heard Seth's voice, faint and meak under all the laundry. Dean chittered and Cesaro bit his tongue hard, he shook his head, wishing Seth could just hold on to whatever he was thinking.  _ Where the hell was the lift?  _

With audible relief, Cesaro found it, a locked grate door at the end of the hallway. Picking up speed, the cart wobbled hard back and forth until they were in front of the door, kissing the wall. 

"Cesaro," Seth tried again, and Cesaro's blood went cold, seeing Seth's little fingers beginning to peek up from under the towels. Looking back and forth to ensure no one was around, Cesaro licked his lips.

"Love, sweetheart, please, we are almost there-" he whispered, gently pushing Seth's fingers back with one hand. With the other, he reached for the handle to the lift door. "Please, it can wait-"

"'M sick," Seth cried softly. Dean groaned. Cesaro's whole arm tremored around the handle. Locked. 

Dazed, he reached for the keys he had stolen, fumbling to find the right one on the large ring. It was too dark to make out exactly what shape of key fit the lock and Cesaro screwed up his face, sure there had to be about twenty keys at least on the ring. They'd be found, this was it, he hadn't planned for this. 

With a wet cough, he could hear Seth vomit inside the cart, crying softly. In a moment, Dean had dug himself out and was hoisting Seth out in a flash. Cesaro just jammed key after key into the lock, trying desperately to turn it. 

"Quiet, quiet,  _ stop _ -" Dean instructed in a bare whisper, trying to mop Seth up with one of the towels. "If you puke, just puke, you need to be  _ quiet _ -"

Seth was gasping at fresh air, his face red and wrinkled with moisture clinging to his beard. Any moment now, someone was going to come and hear them, Cesaro just  _ knew _ . 

Dropping the keys from his shaky hands to the floor, Cesaro gasped as he heard the lift begin to move, the sounds of a turning pulley squeaking loudly over the stale air and Dean throttled Seth back to the bottom of the cart, flailing to kick towels over them. Before he could really pull himself together and ensure a straight face, the lift doors opened and two men walked out, rapidly conversing in another language. 

They were dressed as attendants of some sort and they paused as they saw Cesaro, looking slightly offput by his strange demeanor, standing right in front of the door. Carefully, they edged their way out of the lift and began walking away and down the long hallway, picking their conversation up as though they hadn't been interrupted at all. Before Cesaro could think, the lift doors were closing again and he threw his arm inside, stopping them from flapping shut. 

Down the lift, into a new hallway and through two other long corridors that were even darker than before, Cesaro practically bolted when he saw moonlight leaking through two double doors to the outside. It was as he'd seen on his interior maps. The service exit would lead to the backside of the stables. 

As soon as he came outside, he felt a cheer erupting in his throat that threatened to overwhelm him. Cesaro clutched hard to the cart and took a deep breath, breathing the smell of autumn and cool wind. He paused, suddenly shivering in his shoes as he saw a couple of workers, smoking pipes and huddling together in a circle by a small fire. 

One nodded to him, and Cesaro blinked, sure his returning smile looked alien and false. Seth and Dean shifted a little, likely feeling the presence of the outdoors around them, but they stilled as soon as they heard voices. 

Boldly, Cesaro began to push the cart past the group, seeing the stables just a few hundred feet away. It was probably the last big hurdle. He knew that the road he was on right now would lead him out of the grounds if he doubled back. All he needed to do was get a carriage going. It would take some time, probably too much time, but it was their best chance at putting some real distance between them and the palace. Cesaro had been researching how to tack up a horse, but he still didn't know if he could do everything right. He'd never really steered a carriage before either.

"That's not trash is it?" 

Cesaro continued to press on, sure that the voice was intended for him, but equally sure that he just wanted to get out as soon as possible. The less he interacted with the workers, the better chance he had of escaping without any kind of physical description over his head. However, the worker wasn't having it. 

"Hey!" 

"Yes?" Cesaro mumbled, quiet and petrified. 

"If that's trash, you need to take it to the south heap, the west one's all locked up," the worker said, obviously just trying to be helpful. "It's farther, but I think it's all we got till next week."

"T-thank you, I'll…" Cesaro swallowed, trying to keep his face low. "I'll go check it out… I… thought it was okay."

"Nah man." another worker stood up, straightening his pants and pointing to the opposite direction. "I just locked it up. Don't drag it over there with all that gravel, those wheels are messed up enough as it is."

Stunned on the spot, Cesaro knew he didn't want to argue. He was sure there wasn't another way to really get to the stables unless he wanted to go around the entire palace with the noisy cart, but there was no way he would continue talking and risk the operation. His chest ached and his whole body was covered in a layer of sweat, looking as though he had been sitting in a steam room. 

"Rinse that out when you're done too," the worker jeered, pointing at the cart. "Not supposed to be carting trash in that thing."

"O-okay," Cesaro said, pushing along and wincing as Seth gave the smallest of coughs, mixed into the noise of crunching dirt and gravel. He walked out of the light of the palace and into a shadow, continuing along the little road as though he knew where he was going.

_ Think _ , Cesaro thought, never less capable of such an activity. The service road was empty except for some broken wheels and cut logs of wood that marked the small street.Their exit was down the road, down a little meadow and over a little river that trailed around the palace like a moat. Without a horse or a carriage, there was little hope they'd get through unseen. Guards occasionally patrolled and Seth and Dean were dressed in tan clothes, easily spotted. 

Nerves firing, Cesaro stopped the cart in the cover of darkness and began to pace, holding his head. The air was thick with the hum of night and his own nervous breathing. After a minute or so, the cart shifted and Cesaro could hear his name called softly. 

"Safe?" Dean breathed, popping up out of the towels like a worm in dirt. Cesaro put his face in his hands, wiping sweat away. 

"We may have to go on foot," he mouthed, watching as Seth's hands broke through the towels and grasped the lip of the cart, shaking hard. "We cannot go to the stables, at least, not while there are workers around."

Seth coughed and Cesaro put his nose to his lover's neck again, forgetting that they'd smeared concealer over the surface. It was very faint, but he could just scent that heavy omega odor. Barely a relief.

"Through there," Dean grunted, pointing to the cover of trees that lined the road through the meadow. "If we gotta. We ain' got much for shoes."

"We can do this, but we must stay together and be very quiet," Cesaro said, mostly to Seth. He kissed his lover's forehead and rubbed his cheeks. Seth was panting a little and his eyes looked glossy and tired, overwhelmed from being smuggled out with hot, smelly laundry. The evidence of his sickness stained the towels by his hands and Cesaro grimaced, apologetic to Seth's misery. Carefully, he helped his lover extricate himself from the cart and Dean stood watch, looking around and bouncing on the balls of his feet. For a horrifying moment, Cesaro thought the man was going to bolt, but he merely paced circles around them, cracking his joints.

"Which way we goin', through there?" Dean asked, pointing to the gathering of trees that started on the other side of the road, sloping down the hill and shifting in the light wind. Cesaro nodded, looking up to the side of the palace, seeing windows illuminated. He could only hope no one was watching them.

"We must stay in the darkness, no one can go ahead," he muttered, holding Seth steady with a firm grip. One look in his lover's eyes and he knew that Seth probably wasn't in any shape to run if they were spotted. 

"Okay?" Dean said, wiping sweat from his forehead. He toed the line in the dirt where the light began. "Do or die..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're enjoying! 2 Chapters again next week. Let me know if you're liking it. <3


	5. Regroup, Retaliate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlotte Flair gets an assignment. Seth and Cesaro try to hold it together. Dean gets a sword.

Charlotte Flair didn't bother putting on her court vestments, annoyed enough with the fact that she had been called into a meeting. After getting up at dawn and riding for a few hours, she'd hoped that she could have a mid-morning meal by herself before starting her day. The last thing she wanted was to be interrupted on her way out of the stables by an attendant, insisting her presence was required for some sort of emergency gathering.

These court meetings usually meant there was some minimal border issue that required several hours of self-important royals talking each other down from retaliatory acts of defense. As the general of the court's second generation mounted brigade, Charlotte Flair didn't like being treated as some sort of deadly accessory to the King. But after the mysterious disappearance of her father, Charlotte's duties had mostly been reduced to participating in garish shows of force.

"Yes, I'll be there when I'm finished," Charlotte muttered to the attendant, taking her time feeding her horse and tossing the reigns over the horn of the saddle.

Impatient and hungry, she didn't care about her appearance much in front of the King, and showed up to the meeting with her riding boots caked with mud and grass. 

At first, Charlotte wondered if her appearance had made the King and Queen upset, as the Hemsley's looked much more anxious and livid than they usually were for these sorts of things. But Charlotte just took her place and was privately relieved when they took out their anger on a doctor and some attendants that had been called to give some kind of testimony.

Apparently, Seth Rollins, last year's chosen courtier, had been kidnapped or escaped isolation. It was a difficult fact to stomach and most of the court seemed to believe he'd gotten lost somehow, as such a thing had never happened before. However, Mister Michaels gravely explained that the isolation room had been stripped bare and the whole of the penthouse had been disassembled that morning. A live-in attendant was also missing and so the whole floor of the palace had been locked and courtier meetings had been canceled until further notice. 

All of this was rather immaterial to Charlotte, but it was admittedly much more interesting than some border dispute. 

"He did not seem changed at all to you?" Mister Michaels was asked repeatedly by the court. "There was nothing peculiar about the room or the other attendants that gave you reason to believe there was an intruder?"

"No," he replied, shaking his head and trembling from the gaze of the royals. "None'o my attendants had any reason to believe this would happen. I myself haven't seen him in some time and I knew that his pregnancy was difficult. He was carrying multiple babies and all… but in his condition it seemed… pretty unbelievable that he would try'n leave..."

Charlotte blinked, lifting her head off of her hand. She didn't really know the omega personally that well, but it hadn't stopped her from being intimate with him on the night of the solstice. From what she remembered of Seth, he'd always been chatty and talkative, with a nasally laugh that made her cheek twitch. He'd always made meetings over long with his constant interference and she'd only participated in the opportunity to fuck him while he was pliant during the festival because it was expected. 

To Charlotte, Seth Rollins  _ definitely _ seemed like the type to leave. He'd always defied his place and Mister Michaels’ sober expression nearly made her laugh. 

"Well, it's not as though we lock the omegas up," Charlotte noted, sitting back in her seat and folding her arms. "You said some cart was left outside?"

"Yes…" one of the attendants responded, nodding nervously. "We confirmed with the custodial staff, it wasn't intended."

"Well, there it is," Charlotte scoffed. "He's escaped. Maybe he took the attendant with him, maybe the attendant helped him and they've parted ways. Are we forgetting this was the omega that meddled in all of our business until we finally 'chose him' to put him where he belonged?" Charlotte looked to the King, trying to gauge his reaction. "If he was in the least bit unhappy in isolation, which he  _ probably _ was, he had all the time in the world to figure out how to leave."

"A pregnant omega courtier would make for a fine ransom," Prince Shane countered, arms similarly folded. "Especially so if the omega was carrying more than one offspring."

"We must re-fortify the castle and re-evaluate how we guard the penthouse," the King muttered. He took a deep drink from his cup. Charlotte's brow wrinkled.

"Was there any sort of note? Any reason to believe he was taken against his will?" she asked. Shane blinked, looking down. "I don't believe he could have just walked out of his own accord, but if he was being taken against his will, he wouldn't have gone quietly."

"Unless he was afraid for the babies," Shane countered. The council shifted nervously, obviously unsure about how to judge the situation. Charlotte listened, bored, as a doctor gave his own assessment of the situation and Seth's condition, and the group began to hash out contingency plans. For the moment, the decision was made that no statement would be issued on behalf of the palace. The chosen omega always retired from public life anyway, so the populace didn't have any reason to believe he was missing. If Seth did turn up, dead or alive, the palace could likely come up with a body double to disprove his absence. 

The whole time, Charlotte watched the King and Queen, their fingers tightly holding their goblets, gazing out onto the court. It had been some time since she was in their good graces, and although Charlotte did miss the praise and reward of their favor, she was privately snickering to herself over the possible embarrassment of such an event. Of course, they would shift the blame onto someone other than themselves, but Charlotte knew the humiliation would eat at them. Her father had been a great confidant to the King, and she'd always known they were highly susceptible to the opinions of others. 

At the end of the meeting, as everyone was dispersing, the King called to Charlotte to stay. She paused, keeping her face neutral and her breathing low and even. If she was going to be chewed out for speaking her mind in such a flippant way, Charlotte knew she'd have to keep her irascible alpha tendencies in check. Thankfully however, the King looked disinclined to be upset, lowering his voice carefully. 

"I respectfully disagree with my friend Mister Michaels," he began, nodding to his wife to join him. Charlotte thought the Queen looked the most angry of the two. "Everything you said of Seth Rollins’ character was accurate."

"Meaning no disrespect to you of course," Charlotte muttered, looking between the two. "I've always thought the courtiers were given too much allowance."

"Nothing like this has ever happened before," the Queen said sternly. With one hand, she reached out to touch Charlotte's arm in a sort of faux-friendly manner. Charlotte always disliked being touched. "We want you to find Rollins and whomever else is with him. If he was captured and kidnapped, you may kill whoever is holding him, but if he's simply run off…"

"The babies are the priority," the King said, inspecting Charlotte firmly with his piercing gaze. "Rollins is carrying more than one and his condition is such that his doctor believes he will diminish without the proper supervision."

"Right…" Charlotte said, tensing up a little. As lucky as multiple offspring were supposed to be, she couldn't imagine why this omega was so important that he might warrant being tracked down in such a manner. Omegas bore offspring every year and there was no shortage of courtiers. Charlotte hated babies and most omegas, immune to their sickening scents. 

"You're going to take your most trusted riders and immediately begin a search," the King continued, placing his hand on Charlotte's shoulder and squeezing hard. "The doctor will help you trace the scent of the omega and his attendant. Whatever you need to find him and bring him back, we will supply it."

"I want money," Charlotte demanded, returning the firm gaze of the King and Queen. "This goes beyond my usual duties. If you value this omega's offspring, you'll compensate me and my riders graciously."

The King and Queen shifted, looking between each other. For a moment, Charlotte was wondering if they were going to be upset with her demanding attitude. As if to double down on her words, she shifted in her riding boots, rooting her heel in the ground and staring hard. After a few moments, the King grinned, leaning down and squeezing her wrist with his hard grip.

"I need this done," he said gruffly, eyes boring down into hers. "I'll compensate you. If you can bring Rollins back alive with the babies, I'll give you all the intel we have regarding your  _ father _ ."

* * *

If Sheamus hadn't opened his door to the harsh knocks, Cesaro wasn't sure what he would have done. The night had been probably the worst of his life for the fact that it had gone on so long and been so nightmarishly difficult. Trudging through thick mud, carrying his pregnant lover and nearly losing Dean twice meant he'd felt as though he was going to have a heart attack every hour or so.

"I didn' t'ink you'd be bringing friends, yeah?" Sheamus had spluttered, watching Dean slump to the floor the moment they got inside. Cesaro had put his hand to his pocket, arms shaking, face pleading as he pulled out bank notes, stuffing them into his friend's hands.

"P-please," Cesaro had begged, holding Sheamus' wrists. "Just the night. We'll leave. I swear."

Cesaro had known Seth couldn't have gone another step. While all of them were caked in dirt and sweat, Seth had lost any advantage he could have had months ago. His waist had thickened too large for him to use any of his previous athleticism or agility and his average gait was reduced to a shuffling waddle. Within moments of entering the woods, he'd lost his shoes in thick mud and he fell twice, whimpering as his robes were marred with dirt across his legs and bottom. Sweaty, disheveled and seized with terror, Cesaro and Dean tried their best to take turns carrying Seth along, though the bend of his hips shoved his belly into his lungs and made his back cramp.

If it hasn't for Seth's doe-eyed, watery stare, Cesaro wasn't sure Sheamus would have been so welcoming. All it had taken was for Seth's concealer to sweat off the appropriate amount and the faintest omega scent had Sheamus nodding firmly, giving them towels to clean themselves and fistfuls of bread to eat. 

"You can all stay'in here," Sheamus offered, showing them the guest room and laying a soft hand on Seth's shoulder. "Just eh… stay away from ta windows… don' open 'em or nothin'."

Dean took a blanket and laid on the floor, snoring in all of about an hour or so. Sitting in the darkness and finally feeling the panic begin to ebb away, Cesaro drifted off with his face full of Seth's hair, rubbing the swell where his hand rested. 

" _ Thank _ you," Seth muttered perhaps a thousand times, fidgeting on the thin mattress and crying softly. 

"I love you," Cesaro muttered back every time, barely awake, numbed by the omega scent. 

At daybreak, he startled as he heard shuffling downstairs. Heart racing, Cesaro realized it was probably just Sheamus. Dean was still fast asleep, sprawled out on his back with his chest rising faintly. In his arms, Seth was laying, eyes half open, kneading his belly.

Just a few hours removed from the escape, every muscle in Cesaro's body felt dead heavy and sore. If they hadn't stolen a small loading cart from dock on the other side of the river, he would have had to have carried Seth for several miles. But just the short distance they had covered across several neighborhoods had felt like a marathon. Still dirty and sweaty from the ordeal, Cesaro couldn't help grinning as he looked down into his lover's eyes. 

"I am  _ blessed _ ," he said, kissing Seth's neck and feeling warmth and heat radiate in his chest. "I feel as though I waited years to wake up to you."

Seth just nodded, drawing into himself a little further. Of all the things Seth was, he definitely wasn't  _ shy _ . During the escape, Cesaro had felt tenfold terrified as Seth seemed to be in a constant state of panic and dismay. But now that they were safer, Cesaro had hoped that his own alpha scent might perk up his lover a little more. As his hand strayed across the side of Seth's bump, he blinked, feeling tiny movements.

In awe, he sat up, eyes wide and excited. Seth just screwed up his face, burying himself as thoroughly as possible.

"Schatzchen, what's wrong?" Cesaro asked softly, moving his hand away. Seth's belly gurgled and he let out a soft whine.

"I'm  _ hungry _ ," he cried weakly, sniffing and shaking. Cesaro chuckled, relieved as he patted Seth's thigh and sat up, sure that he could convince Sheamus to give them a little extra food.

Cesaro returned with a tray full of bread, butter, fruit and some cured meat, as well as glasses of cream and a cup of tea. Brought to life, Dean sat up expectantly, but Cesaro swatted his hand until Seth had taken a few bites.

Even as he ate, tears continued to fall down his cheeks and into his beard. Cesaro grimaced at a red spot on his neck, sure that the concealer had given Seth's skin a mild rash. 

"Am I  _ allowed _ ?" Dean asked after a few moments, his hand straying over to the tray. Cesaro nodded and Seth sniffled, hovering the glass of cream away from his wet face.

"Better?" Cesaro asked, laying a hand on Seth's stomach and giving it a soft pat. Seth shook his head, shaking.

"I'm  _ dirty _ ," he cried, eyelashes dripping. "I need a  _ bath _ …"

Cesaro appealed to whatever patience Sheamus had left in order to fill the bathroom tub with hot water and offer up his toiletries. Still snacking on bread, Seth stripped, letting the robe fall away from his body as Cesaro helped to ease him into the wooden tub. It was difficult to say exactly how much Seth's body had changed since becoming pregnant (beyond the obvious) as Cesaro had only seen him naked the one time. Though he appeared more rounded throughout his extremities, Cesaro was also sure he'd lost fat and muscle from being stuck in isolation. His wrists appeared more bony and his ankles looked woefully unable to support the whole of his frame. His skin, though soft, looked a lot more pale than it had when he'd been able to take walks outside on the palace grounds, and his hair was longer as well. 

When Seth turned, trying to get his footing, Cesaro's teeth gritted, seeing the sharp curve of Seth's spine in his back, being pulled forward with the weight of the babies. Laying down in the tub, his belly rose above the water, an island rising above the fullness of his chest. 

"Better?" Cesaro asked again, leaning in and kissing Seth's wet locks. Seth nodded, wiping his face and taking a deep breath.

"He cries all the time you know," Dean said, rather unhelpfully, as Cesaro returned to the room, wondering if there might be anything clean Seth could wear once he was scrubbed down. "It's all the babies, I bet he's like  _ triple _ freakin' out."

"So are you planning on staying with us?" Cesaro asked snappishly, watching as Dean stacked a wad of meat onto a piece of bread, making a large sandwich. "If you are, you're going to have to help out."

"Seth wanted me to stay," Dean mumbled, nodding to the bathroom. "What? Am I cramping your style?"

_ Yes _ , Cesaro thought, sure in his belief that he was all that Seth really needed. Dean didn't have any money, and during the escape, he'd given Cesaro plenty of chest palpitations, running ahead without notice. On top of all that, Dean was another alpha, stubborn as hell and eager to voice his opinion even when it wasn't necessary. 

However, Cesaro was polite and currently only stressed over matters of clothes. He could argue his points at another time. He simply carried on, walking in circles and trying to think until he heard footsteps approaching.

"Where ya plannin' to ditch the cart any time soon?" Sheamus asked from the doorway, looking less than enthused. Cesaro blinked, barely remembering that they'd stolen the cart with a donkey, which was still tied up behind Sheamus's small home. 

"Y-yes," Cesaro said, forgetting Seth's laundry needs. "Do you have a market around here? I can go and sell the donkey. I will buy a new one and then we can get going."

"There's a market 'bout a mile that way," Sheamus mumbled, wrinkling his nose at Dean's dirty feet. "I'd go quick though, they like to tear down earlier in the day…"

Matching Dean's assessment, Seth burst into tears as soon as Cesaro explained he was going to leave for a short time in order to secure some supplies for their trip. Terrified that his lover was going to be discovered somehow, Seth sobbed as Sheamus tried to be comforting in his own oafish way, offering him the most comfortable blankets he owned and handfuls of rich chocolate. 

"I'll go too and make sure he's okay, yeah?" Dean offered, ruffling Seth's head as he cried into Cesaro's shoulder. "I'll get you all your dumb creams and sunflower seeds and whatever bullshit you got from the palace." 

Seth didn't answer, but Cesaro sighed, running his hands through Seth's hair and swaying a little on the spot. He could feel the swell of the babies rubbing up against his own belly and he grinned, looking down at the towel that barely encircled Seth's waist. 

"What do you want me to get you sweetheart?" hHe asked, prying Seth off him a little and smiling at his half naked form. "You have no clothes! We have to get you something that you can wear when we leave. I do not think Sheamus has anything that will fit you..."

"Nah," Sheamus shook his head, sliding his fingers into Seth's hand. "You are okay! Nuttin' bad is gonna happen…"

Cesaro's lip curled a little, watching his friend sit Seth down in the living room, wrapped in the blanket. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries in regards to Sheamus' home, but he wasn't comfortable with anyone being overly familiar with Seth. However, It was difficult to fight in borrowed clothes and they had little time. The sun was already high in the sky and Cesaro didn't know how long they had until the market closed. 

"Can you not do anything about your appearance? Since you  _ are _ a convict?" Cesaro quietly asked Dean as they got into the cart and quickly made their way down the road as Sheamus had described. Dean blinked, mussing up his hair a little. Cesaro sighed. 

"I can fight if anyone messes with me," Dean shrugged, scratching his bare ankle. 

"That is not what I meant," Cesaro sniffed.

"Look, once we get rid of this cart, we'll probably be home free for a bit, yeah?" Dean mumbled. "Unless there's a big bunch of asshole's waitin' at the border, I don't think it'll be a big deal. It's not like any regular people 'round here know what we look like."

Still, Cesaro couldn't help feeling like he was attracting attention. As soon as they were in the crowded market and walking amidst other groups of people, he felt eyes everywhere, raking his body and scrutinizing him carefully. It wasn't until they purchased brand new cart with a plush, padded seat and a little awning for shade, that Cesaro realized that he probably reeked of sweaty, pregnant omega. 

"Was there… anythin' else you needed?" tThe salesman asked, sniffing a little and looking slightly stung. Cesaro swallowed and quickly got away, motioning for Dean to walk closer to him. 

"I need you to do the talking," he muttered, handing Dean a few banknotes and readjusting the reigns of the horse in his hand. "I spent all night laying with him…"

Dean was a fast talker and remarkably expedient at getting exactly what they needed out of every transaction. Cesaro followed behind, minding the time and nodding as Dean held things up for him to inspect. In no time at all, they'd stocked up on food and some essential items for traveling outdoors during the dry season. Matches and kerosene were only exchanged with lengthy warnings about the dangers of forest fires over the coming weeks.

"Yeah yeah, this ain' my first rodeo." Dean nodded, handing over money in exchange for fire lighters. Cesaro grinned, glad that Dean's mouth was at least good for some things. 

But they couldn't leave the market without stocking up on a few key items that Dean insisted that they would need. For a few minutes, Dean began to hover outside of a stall selling a variety of homeopathic herbs and various remedies for common ailments. 

"He pukes all the goddamn time too," Dean grunted, picking up a few boxes of various chewables that advertised a benefit for nauseous fits. "And he's always saying his skin itches and stuff." 

"Does he… really need all that?" Cesaro asked skeptically, watching Dean toss a bag into the back of the cart. Dean raised an eyebrow.    


"I've practically been doin' your job for the past however many months now," he scoffed, grinning deviously. "How many pregnant omegas have you been around lately?"

"Keep your voice down," Cesaro hissed, flushing red. "I appreciate what you have done for him, I really do… but we are very likely going to… well…  _ rough it _ for a bit, so to speak. I would… I would think that he will have a hard time, but we have to be smart about these things."

"Righ’t… which is why  _ you're _ gonna buy all this shit," Dean said flatly, stopping in front of a fur traders stand and putting his hand to a large soft pillow. Without a second thought, he pulled the last of the money Cesaro had given him out of his pocket and purchased it. Cesaro frowned. 

"Let's be logical here…" he said through gritted teeth. "He needs clothes… not… frilly things…"

"Look man…" Dean stopped, bumping his chest up against Cesaro's as he turned, eyes dark and stirring with tense energy. "You might have done the dirty work where you got into the palace and pushed us out-"

"Quiet-" Cesaro hissed, but Dean pressed on. 

"-But I've been sittin for months with… with him and we did all the planning and shit. I'm the one who had to rub his damn feet and tell him not to fuckin' kill himself when he thought you weren't comin' for him. Whatever you did? Awesome, thanks a  _ lot _ ."

"Yeah?" Cesaro huffed, heart racing. Dean's words stung awfully, but he wasn't sure how much of it was actually true. Dean's cheek twitched. 

" _That_ guy," Dean continued, talking about Seth. "He doesn't know shit about how the world works and now we've dragged him outta here and... I... don't think he's gonna do so hot. You saw him this morning? He wasn't… he hasn't been  _ that _ bad before, but he's full to his eyes with babies and we don't know what the fuck we're doin' here…" 

He wasn't lying, and though Cesaro was sure they needed to shut up and keep their business to themselves, Dean had a point. For all the thousands of hours he'd poured into learning how to pick locks and trap small animals for food, Cesaro hadn't opened a book on pregnancy. He hadn't really considered that Seth had a real handicap the entire time, and if they were going to plan for anything, it had to take Seth's swollen ankles into account.

Cesaro's blood ran cold as he straightened up, imagining Seth going into labor woefully unprepared. He was just about six months pregnant now, but Cesaro wasn't sure how having triplets changed the whole process. Dean shrugged, watching as Cesaro's apprehension showed on his face, making him blanch.

"You ask me?" Dean said, turning away and scratching his arm, "I don't think it's gonna go so smooth… not unless we got some doctor. I tried telling him, but he wanted to get out and see you…"

"Don't blame me!" Cesaro said defensively, eager to bite back. "Who is to say we cannot… find someone that knows what they are doing? Someone who can help?"

"Well, if you want all three kids, you might wanna figure that out," Dean said softly, kicking the dirt. "Somethin' happens to Seth… I ain't stayin' and helpin' you raise them either, so  _ there's _ some incentive."

Cesaro grabbed Dean from behind and if it weren't for the people on either side of him and the reigns of the horse in his opposite fist, he would have punched the other man clean across his face. Instead, he managed a firm grip on his borrowed shirt, tugging him close. 

"You could act a  _ little  _ more sympathetic," Cesaro hissed, tugging the shirt harder, his blood boiling. Dean didn't struggle, but frowned, looking back at Cesaro with an almost withering glance. "If I had not helped, you would still be in there."

"Yeah, and I'd be eating catered dinners, don't remind me." Dean breathed. "Would you chill?" 

"Apologize," Cesaro said, holding Dean on the spot. "Right now." 

"Or what?" Dean laughed, "You ain't got shit to stab me with!" A sudden look came over his face and he looked around distractedly. "We should  _ really  _ buy some swords."

"Look. At. Me," Cesaro said, trying to keep toxic alpha energy from leaking into his voice. "We are both trying to do the same thing and we both care about… about him. This does not need to be hard. I appreciate what you have done but now we need to work together and I cannot have you saying horrible things about my… lover… and my children." Cesaro breathed hard, letting go of Dean's shirt and trying to calm himself down. "If we are both mad at each other, he will be upset."

"Heh, yeah." Dean snorted, sighing hard. He surveyed Cesaro up and down, assessing him. "I do care about him, you're right. Not to be a dick or nothin'..." 

Dean didn't really apologize until Cesaro bought him a large, two handed blade that he kept strapped across his back. Cesaro himself bought a quiver of arrows and a bow, sure that all the time he'd spent practicing with Sheamus would have to pay off if they were needed to fight anyone. 

For Seth, he bought a smaller blade, though he wasn't sure if he could bring Seth to really use it. If worst came to worst and Seth was surrounded or captured, Cesaro would hope that he would just surrender and spin some lie about being kidnapped. Whatever would let him and the babies survive. 

Though, Cesaro reminded himself that Seth was strict and stubborn in his own way. While he clearly enjoyed a level of comfort and safety that most civilians could only dream of, he'd thrown it all away for Cesaro. Despite his sickness, pain and anxiety, he'd never once looked hesitant to continue. It was strange, suddenly being around each other again, not quite sure what was happening or how they'd changed since the solstice. Sitting a top the new carriage and listening to the horse hooves clop in the dirt, Cesaro tried to just keep his mind centered, in the present, at the task at hand. 

When they returned to the house, Dean tied up the horses to the front stall and fed them while Cesaro grabbed the clothes he'd purchased for Seth. Dean had recommended they buy everything very soft, while Cesaro was sure the weather would be too hot for Seth to enjoy too many layers. In the end, they'd purchased some silky robes. 

"Leaving already?" Sheamus asked, grinning stupidly as Cesaro came to Seth's side and explained their preparations. "We've been havin' a grand ol' time! He's damn near blessed the whole house!"

Cesaro blinked, rubbing his nose. Even with his poor sense of smell, Seth's scent was everywhere, wafting thick and strong. Sheamus apparently had been handing Seth a variety of random objects and he'd been rubbing his wrists on everything, blessing them for good luck. Seth himself was sitting with his legs open wide to accommodate his belly, wrapped in a thick blanket in lieu of clothes. 

"Where's Dean?" he asked quickly, munching on a square of cheese, brown eyes large and expectant. 

"Just outside, we needed a moment to look at the map while there's still light and we'll be off," Cesaro said, rubbing his back and looking at his lover carefully. "You ready?"

After a couple hours removed from each other Seth was a little quiet and awkward, putting on a new dark grey robe and resting the concealer-blanket around his shoulders for good measure. Cesaro helped, sliding his feet into a pair of durable leather shoes and tying the laces for him, unable to conceal a smile. Seth just blushed, fussing with his hair and massaging his chest.

"I'm sorry I'm a mess," he admitted once he was fully dressed, waddling a little as they made their way outside. Sheamus was puttering around, trying to assess his extra valuables so Seth could quickly bless them before he left. Cesaro paused, biting his lip.

"I feel like I'm supposed to be more happy," Seth said, eyes already wet. "Like, you saved me and Dean, but I'm just really scared and my body hurts… the babies won't stop moving…"

"It's okay, it is fine," Cesaro said, dropping the bag he was carrying and pulling Seth in to hold properly. They hadn't spared a moment to talk since they'd escaped. In the back of his mind, Cesaro knew they really couldn't waste any time, but it had been so long since the solstice that they were really overdue. 

"I'm sorry, too," he continued, splaying a hand over Seth's belly. "We're all doing this together and we can only go as fast as you can. I'll keep you safe, I promise."

"I really want to have sex," Seth whined into Cesaro's jacket, kneading it with his forehead. Cesaro barked out a laugh, rubbing his lover's shoulders. "I know we can't-"

"I missed you too." Cesaro grinned. "Let's just get on the road… I'm sure we can… tell Dean to sit behind a tree or something..."

* * *

By sunset, Charlotte was sure that the omega had not been kidnapped, but rather planned some sort of escape. After consulting with the janitorial staff and the attendants to the courtiers, there seemed to be evidence of a planned escape in which the omega was complicit. Items were missing and moved, and there was still no evidence of ransom.

It had taken almost all of the restraint she had not to throw herself upon the King with her sword drawn and demand to know what had happened to her father. Really, she wasn't sure the stupid assignment would guarantee her anything, but a trip gave Charlotte some time to think beyond what the royal family had initially told her when her father had gone missing. 

Without Ric Flair the patriarch in the picture, Charlotte's land guarantees and familial prospects were cast into doubt. If someone had conspired to alter her future, she wouldn't hesitate to retaliate. To keep her mind right, she had to focus on the task at hand. Charlotte quickly assembled her own team to address the situation, calling upon her most trusted riders. 

Alexa Bliss was always a good choice. She wasn't the best worker in a group, but she was fast and usually agreed with Charlotte on most things. Both she and Charlotte had received the same training and usually had the same schedules for eating and waking up. She could be trusted.

Nia Jax, though a little slower on a horse, was strong and took direction well. She got along with Alexa, so it made sense to bring them both. 

Dana Brooke was obvious. If Charlotte could call anyone a friend, it was Dana. She always accompanied Charlotte to the outermost territories during border disputes, and would often untack Charlotte's horse if she had to be somewhere quickly after a morning ride. Though Dana wasn't as high class, Charlotte invited her to balls and parties, provided Dana could find something suitable to wear in time.

Four was enough. Any more would make it difficult to move and conduct small, coordinated attacks when necessary. Nia was going to work the cart behind the group, and if they could recover Rollins alive, he'd ride with her, bound to prevent any further escapes.

"How many weapons do we need for a rescue mission?" Dana laughed, handing off her own sword to be sharpened before they left. Alexa and Nia were loading up the cart horse.

"He might have that convict with him and we don't know if he'll be armed or not," Charlotte explained, squinting a little as sparks flew from the sharpener. "They don't teach omegas self defense, but it's possible he'll have others with him."

"Yeah well, he might be an alpha, we're all alphas too though." Dana smirked. "Just hope the omega's okay. We get paid more if he is, right?"

"Yes, and make sure they get the herb masks packed." Charlotte said, calling out to her friend as Dana walked back to the cart outside. They'd all be awake most of the day, but after some tea, they'd be riding out that night to account for any ground they might have lost over the day. A few hours rest, and they'd reassess and make sure they were headed in the right direction.

"We're going to make camp before the gauntlet," Charlotte explained, returning their arms and standing over the cart. All three of the women paused, listening carefully. "He's escaped and now he'll try to make a break for it- the only point they could make it out without an imperial checkpoint is going to be where the refugees and the travelers meet. The janitors were missing uniforms and such, but I'm sure that the convict has changed by now. Alexa-"

Alexa perked up. Charlotte pointed to her horse.

"Your nose is better than mine, you've smelled omegas before, right?"

"Like, a few times, who do you think I am?" She laughed. Charlotte rolled her eyes and produced a cloth. 

"This was his. Even with my poor nose, the stench in his quarters was nauseating after a few minutes. He's not going to be hard to find-"

"Ooooh, it's so nice though!" Alexa said, holding the towel to her nose and laughing as she handed it to Nia. "I don't even know what it's like, but it's so…"

"It's like… the holidays or something." Nia smiled, handing the towel to Dana. "Sweet spice."

" _ Regardless _ ," Charlotte said, tossing the towel back to Alexa before Dana had a chance to smell it. "If you smell that again, you just take off, don't bother telling us. Me and Dana will follow and Nia, you'll hold position. Got it? This shouldn't be that hard, courtiers are useless. We just need to do our best not to hurt him, kill whoever else you need to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one chapter, I'm writing a little slower because I'm writing a rare pair that isn't getting a lot of traffic XD I've got the 7th one up to bat! If you like this, let me know!


	6. Road Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happenstance brings two groups together. Charlotte finds a lead.

In the ensuing days of the escape, Cesaro, Dean and Seth all tried their best to acclimate to life on the road, with an eye over their shoulder as they moved on. Leaving the little villages and populated areas for dirt roads and countryside felt much better, and with each horse or cart that passed, Seth wanted to breathe a little easier. 

Cesaro had been steadfast and determined, quiet as usual. He kept his gaze on the road as the horses plodded along, making the carriage bump and crunch on the dirt and rocks. Dean whistled a lot and talked to himself, sticking his hands into Seth's bag of sunflower seeds and spitting the shells onto the ground as they went. Despite their encouragement and readiness to help, Seth just couldn't feel safe. 

For one, the carriage was extremely uncomfortable. The padded seat felt hard on his bottom and with every hard bounce, the babies revolted, shifting and punching his insides. Usually a little after breakfast, Seth would groan and Cesaro would pull the cart over so he could puke and take a few minutes to drink water without being jarred by motion. 

Wearing the concealer blanket around his shoulders all day stung at his eyes and nose, making him feel like he had seasonal allergies. And on top of all of that, the sheer fact of living outside in the elements was extremely draining. When it was hot, Seth drank tons of water and struggled to hold his bladder for more than an hour at a time, sweating through his robes. When there was a lot of wind, he grumbled, drawing in a blanket and fussing with his hair as it blew around annoyingly. 

Night was probably the worst. No position was comfortable, bugs flew in his ears and every little noise put him into a panic. 

"There's something out there," Seth said for about the third time on their first night outside, drawing himself away from Cesaro and looking around in the darkness, terrified. 

Cesaro sighed and stirred, rubbing his hand harder over Seth's belly, trying to calm him down. It was very late and the stars were bright. Dean was the only one that seemed capable of any sleep. A thin mattress on the bottom of the carriage and a few blankets was all they had. 

"It's just animals," Cesaro muttered, breathing hard against Seth's neck and kissing softly. "We just lie still, it is okay…"

Seth's pungent scent seemed to attract more than it's fair share of wildlife, and each morning there was usually a visitor of some sort, drawn in by the thick odor. Brown squirrels, mice, pheasants, wild turkeys and a coyote were all spotted by Dean, circling their little camp at daybreak, just loitering and enjoying themselves. During the day as they rode along, Seth seemed particularly susceptible to bug bites and flies buzzing around his head, even when he whined and pulled the concealer blanket over his hair. 

"I want our house to be away from bugs," Seth whined, managing to kill a fly by slapping it dead against the little post to the shade awning on the cart. Cesaro turned, grinning.

"No swamp dream home?" he asked.

"Nothing too cold and nothing too hot," Seth said, putting his hands on the shelf of his stomach and scratching a bug bite on his wrist. 

Within a week, he was exhausted, of smelling like horses and dirt and itching at his scalp full of dirty hair. The concealer blanket didn't seem to be doing much, especially since his clothes were so dirty. Each night, he poured water over his underwear and rinsed it out, trying desperately to rid it of the noxious thick pregnancy smell that he was leaking constantly. Seth would kill for a bath, tired of disgusting hair and an unkempt beard. 

"When will we reach the refugee road?" He asked, trying to keep the whine out of his voice as he adjusted his robes. It was another hot day and his stomach felt weak and nauseous again. 

"Probably today or tomorrow," Cesaro said, checking the map as the horses plodded on. "There's supposed to be a town closeby where we can pick up more food…"

Seth rubbed his belly, sighing. He really didn't want to eat any more dehydrated meat. 

"Once we get there, we should get you a privacy shade or somethin'." Dean remarked, touching his fingers to his nose. "We don't have any more concealer?"

"We do…" Cesaro said, wrinkling his nose. Seth scratched at his throat. It still felt a little itchy from when he'd worn the cream for the escape. It clearly didn't agree with his skin. "We'll… we'll see what we need to do…"

Seth knew that they were heading for the border, far off in the wilderness where it would be difficult to be found, but Cesaro admitted he wasn't very good at reading the maps he'd confiscated to make their escape. Past getting out of the country, there had been no discussion, no planning that gave them anything to hope for. It would probably take weeks and weeks to get out of the bounds of King Helmsley's rule, and Seth knew that Cesaro didn't want to promise Seth anything other than what was possible for them, right at that moment.

Looking to Dean, Seth still didn't know what his plans were either, and it made his chest twist with anxiety. After a few minutes of putting off a sort of acrid, worried scent. Cesaro came to sit with him on his padded seat, rubbing his dirty feet and putting off a calming, strong scent of his own.

"How are the babies today?" Cesaro asked, squeezing the ball of Seth's foot. Seth sighed, trying to calm down, rubbing his stomach and feeling the babies squirm.

"Okay," he breathed, feeling around. "Big. Active. Making me sick."

"I hope they look like you," Cesaro muttered, patting his toes and blushing a little. "I always thought I looked… gangly when I was a boy…"

Seth grinned, unable to retort. Cesaro's hands continued to dig into his swollen ankles and he purred, shifting and letting his eyelids flutter shut as the carriage tumbled on. It seemed a lot to hope that they'd end up in some place cozy and safe, with three healthy babies to care for, but Seth let his mind wander. His daydreaming had been a sort of coping mechanism from when he was in isolation, but now he tried to push his anxieties aside, picturing a future that made his heart flutter. Little girls and boys, all sporting black hair and Seth's long lashes, but with Cesaro's sweet eyes that wrinkled when he smiled. Their father, holding one in each arm, while Seth carried the third, putting them to bed in a little cottage…

Dean interrupted his musings, wrinkling the map and holding it up. Another carriage came bustling by and Seth shrunk in his seat, trying not to be seen. 

"We're supposed to be on that winding road right?" Dean mumbled, squinting. "By that town, uh… Ra… Rapuh…."

"Rappleforth." Cesaro said clearly, moving down to the front of the carriage where Dean was attempting to read the name. "Yes, this road."

"But then, this road goes by Rappleforth too." Dean mumbled, pointing at the map. A wooden sign for RAPPLEFORTH lined the road and Dean pointed. "Does that mean it's on this side? Or…" 

Cesaro paused, thinking hard. Seth trusted his lover to get them where he needed to go, but a shadow of doubt crossed over his face as he checked the map back and forth, trying to make sense of where they were. 

"If it's the wrong one, we're gonna…" Dean made a motion with his hand that looked like a U turn. "Go back."

"Yes, I see that." Cesaro muttered, biting his lips. Seth wanted to come down and check on the map as well, but in the distance, he could see people standing on the side of the road. His heart began to pound hard. It looked as though they were watching the progress of their carriage and Seth shrunk back further, scurrying to grab the concealer blanket, however much it might help.

"Mm, it's a toll it looks like," Dean grunted, feeling the energy change in the air as Seth bristled. "Where's the money at?" 

"Maybe we can ask them." Cesaro said, folding the map and looking to Seth over his shoulder. "Just stay quiet Schatzchen."

"It smells bad," Seth mumbled, trying to stay out of the glances of the men who were coming closer. "I don't like it…"

* * *

"Xavier, are you listening? Put that goddamn book down already."

"Huh? Why?" Xavier mumbled, picking himself up out of the cart and grimacing at the pain in his lower back. He'd been sitting on top of their bags all morning with heavy tomes in his lap, straightening up, he wrinkled his nose at a strange smell. Kofi was staring ahead, one leg slung out of the cart, looking puzzled. 

"Weird," Xavier noted, taking in a deep breath to really pick up on the scent that had all three of them confused. It was sweet, but not overly so. Enticing, but a little on edge, and decidedly different than anything they'd ever smelled on the road. After a few moments, Kofi knuckled Xavier hard in the shoulder and he jumped, shaking the rickshaw on it's wheels.

"No roughhousing back there now." Big E teased. 

"You weren't listenin' to me at all." Kofi accused of Xavier, snatching the book from his hands and gesturing as though he intended to chuck it into the dirt. Xavier yelped and he laughed. "I friggen oughta. You owe E so much for hauling all this around."

"Hauling  _ both _ you around." E reminded, wiggling the edges of the rickshaw. 

"It's  _ knowledge _ ," Xavier spluttered, clutching his books defensively. "I don't complain about what all y'all chose to pack. You never know when you might need to know this stuff!"

"Oh, what?" Kofi laughed, examining the spine on the thick book Xavier had been puzzling through. "Nocturnal birds of the sovereign kingdom? When the hell do we need to know about twenty-five different kinds of  _ owls _ ?"

Xavier frowned, snatching the book back and resting it between his legs. It was a hot day. His friends were hungry and tired and they were heading to work up north where the mines would give them decent wages for a few months. Nobody was really excited or happy to be on the road, but Xavier at least thought they would ease up on giving him shit. So what if he grabbed a few extra books for the journey? If it kept him occupied for some time, great. He could always sell the books back when he reached his destination. He usually did anyway.

"The pictures are cool, man." Xavier grumbled, opening the book back up to an illustration of a horned owl, holding a mouse in it's beak. Kofi seemed compelled to bully today. With no explanation for the sweet scent, he continued his ribbing.

"And this one…" He scoffed, picking up a smaller book. "Games to play for sport and fun? I hope ya' know we're going to be working weeks at a time here… oh…" Kofi laughed pulling up the thickest book. "Omega life cycles and  _ child rearing _ ? Why the hell did you buy this?" 

"I bought all the books that were at the store, yeah?" Xavier hissed, blushing and pulling the book back. "There was only four and I knew you'd be an ass so I thought I'd bring something to entertain myself with!" 

"Ease up Kof, he's using his big-boy voice," E laughed, looking back at Xavier over his huge shoulder. "What's the other one?"

"It's a book of songs to play on the horn." Kofi said, laughing at the illustrated cover. "Gunna learn how to play a horn?"

"Maybe some day," Xavier said, blushing hard and blinking a little as the scent seemed to grow stronger. Up ahead, there was a carriage stopped in the road and the rick shaw shifted as E's steps grew smaller and more cautious. "...Just to keep you dumb dumbs up all night."

Voices could be heard from a distance and E paused, straining to listen. Xavier snapped his book shut again, watching as Kofi perked his head up. 

"They blockin' the road?" Kofi asked, looking around the carriage where some people appeared to be standing. "Hell, is  _ that  _ what smells?" 

A shrieking shout was heard and Xavier shivered, indescribably sympathetic and affected. Just a little under a year ago, they'd all been robbed by highwaymen and the situation looked very familiar. On the ground, one of the men was stuffing something into a bag, hurriedly trying to make off with money or valuables while another man was holding out a sword threateningly. 

"Oh…  _ Booty _ ," Big E sighed angrily, tossing down the rickshaw and nearly vaulting Kofi and Xavier from their seats. "We gettin' in on this?" He asked, pulling for his axe. "Tryin' get a finder's fee?"

"Uhh…" Xavier paused, but E had already run off, bolting up the path with surprising speed for someone his size. Xavier grimaced and grabbed his bow and arrows. He'd never actually shot anyone and didn't really want to do so now. 

As predicted, the two men ran as soon as they saw E rocketing after them, trailing money as they bolted. E screamed maniacally and Kofi slid out of the rickshaw, trailing his sword behind him as though it was a chore.

"Hey, you guys alright?" Xavier asked, walking up to the carriage and taking in the scene. Dirt had been kicked up and the horses were startled, jumping around and pushing loose bank notes into the ground with their hooves. On the ground, a blonde white guy was sitting, covered in dirt, sweating from being manhandled. Immediately, Xavier's nose tickled and he looked around, sure the source of the smell was close. 

In the carriage, a bald man was sitting with another person, shielded up to their nose and crying. They looked to be about the same age, and probably wealthy, based on their garments. 

"Man, what smells over here?" Kofi asked, fanning the air and shaking his head. "It's messing with my  _ head _ …"

Xavier's eyes widened as the obscured man trembled, helplessly trying to keep a blanket arranged over his shoulders. For a moment, the garment slipped and Xavier could smell the scent much more intensely. His belly was wide and unmistakably full, and part of Xavier wondered how he hadn't figured it out already. He'd only been reading about omega physiology a few hours ago.

"You guys… are you guys omegas? No…" Xavier mumbled, looking to the two other men, who didn't really fit the omega type. "Sorry… uh… if that's rude… I just…"

E came back, winded and panting. His mouth gaped and his eyes bulging as he began to laugh, holding the shoulder strap full of money aloft. Down the road, Xavier could see the other men running off, cowed. 

Completing his celebratory dance (usually acted out after an incredibly pointed insult or scoring a good meal) E patted the bag, slinging it over his own shoulder and pulling it out of reach as the blonde men hopelessly reached for it. Xavier beamed, but immediately felt a little guilty.

"Yeah, uh, _ hi _ ." Xavier said, waving his hands at the the probable omega and his speechless friends. "We saw you were having trouble… uh… are you guys okay? Or…"

"We're fine, it is fine, we just…" The tall, bald headed man said, stepping down and taking charge. "We were just… taken off guard. We have not seen many people and did not think we would encounter any trouble." 

"We got mugged here before, it's rough. Those might have been the same guys…" Xavier said, squinting into the distance. E nodded breathlessly. "Uh… are you… are you guys keeping an omega though? That's really dangerous. I mean, just for the direction you're goin'…" he laughed, nervous. The omega popped it's head down again, looking terrified. "We uh, we don't want to hurt you or anything, we just smelled uh… it… I guess I was just curious. I've never smelled an omega before…"

Nobody would confirm or deny Xavier's awkward questions, but E continued to pull the bag closer to him as the blonde man got to his feet and held his hand out firmly. Kofi inspected the carriage thoughtfully, as though he was assessing how much they could fleece the victims. 

Xavier was more curious than anything. Surely, some more money meant they could get a decent meal and maybe even a cart horse in Rappleforth, but… the presence of an omega was incredibly rare. Xavier really wanted to touch him and ask for a scent marking, though he wasn't sure what the etiquette was with pregnant omegas. The bald man hovered protectively, and Xavier had to assume he was his alpha. 

"If y'all got an omega, we want blessings." Kofi said stubbornly, folding his arms. "We'd like some compensation, but if you can bless our friend's books here, we could sell 'em for a lot more later and that would be real helpful."

"They're  _ my _ books." Xavier reminded him, watching as Kofi began to walk back to the rick shaw. "Have him bless some of your own stuff!" 

"Bless everything! Bless the cart!" E demanded, reluctantly letting the blonde man snatch the bag back from his loose grip. The bald man watched, unwillingly as the omega began to ease himself down to the ground, requiring some assistance to get off the carriage. 

"I'm dizzy," he said quietly, leaning on the bald men. "I need… I want water…"

Xavier blinked, curling his toes at the sight of the omega's belly on full display. He was vastly pregnant and really struggling to stand as the bald man offered him water to drink. E brought their cart up and the omega paused, taking some steadying breaths. 

"We… we can wait… hey…" Xavier mumbled, watching his friends eagerly begin to take out their spare clothes and toiletries. The carriage horses still looked frightened and the blonde man was still dusting himself off. "Let's… how about we pull off the road for a bit, yeah?"

The omega looked rather ill as they continued up the road for a quarter of a mile to take shelter under some large trees overlooking a mostly dried up stream. The air was a little cooler, with refreshing shade and the omega bent low, washing his face and taking deep breaths. The horses drank and the blonde man cleaned a little blood from his arm, but Xavier, Kofi and Big E just watched, in a sort of comfortable daze. The smell was rich and very pleasant, and Xavier had to blink and shake his head a lot, trying to think clearly. It was such an intoxicating odor, he knew he should probably put his hands to his face, lest he just start drooling. How could the other two be so unaffected?

"You will be sick?" The bald man asked the omega, massaging his back carefully. The brunette man nodded hurriedly and bent over, retching into the dirt. Even with the sickly sounds he was making, Xavier felt his head tilt, sympathetic, astounded, and suddenly very envious of the bald man. He wanted to soothe the omega, wanted to press his face into his neck and scent all the little understated subtleties to that rare treat.

"D-do you… do you need… water? Food?" Xavier asked, struggling with his words as the omega slowly waddled to the tree and sunk down by the trunk, mopping his sweaty forehead and holding his belly in his lap. Nobody responded and Xavier just swallowed, a sudden thought occurring to him. 

"I… uh… I have this book…" he said, fumbling clumsily into the cart. "I think… it's got a lot of information about omegas and it even has a bit about herbs and plants that can help with sickness and things like that…" He thumbed through, trying to find the pages about pregnancy. His fingers shivered and his vision felt blurry and strange. With such a heightened awareness, he flipped between pages, unable to read much. "Uh…"

"Let me see that, please." The bald said, at his side in an instant. His face looked hungry, almost predatory, intent. His hand stretched out and Xavier grasped the book firmly.

"I'm Xavier," he said stupidly, shaking the outstretched hand and letting out a choked laugh as the man's face flushed pink. "What's your name?"

* * *

The mugging on the road left everyone rather shaken up and scared, but Cesaro knew that they couldn't waste time hanging around. Apart of him (some hormonally imbalanced, exhausted and over protective part) wanted to snatch the omega book out of the hands of their rescuers and get back on the road to Rappleforth.

But the largest of the men, subtly dubbed 'Big E' didn't seem like a pushover. It was only after Cesaro gave them a considerable amount of cash that he seemed content to sit down. 

"My name is Claudio," Cesaro lied, pulling Seth close to him and trailing a protective hand down his side. "This is… Tyler."

Dean looked confused and sat up from where he was washing his face in the stream.

"'M Jon," he muttered, a little late to respond. The smaller man, Kofi as he was named, looked a little suspicious.

"Our house burned down and we had nowhere to go." Cesaro invented, "J-jon lent us his carriage and some of his things. His house got burned down too… We are trying to make our way north to meet my family."

"You guys like,  _ ever  _ travelled before?" Kofi laughed, unable to take his eyes off of Seth. "Y'all look like you got money but you're going through the  _ Gaunlet _ ?"

"We… we didn't want to spend unnecessary funds." Cesaro said through gritted teeth. Seth was breathing hard, and though he'd stopped trembling, Cesaro knew he was still panicky. Xavier was still thumbing through the omega book, his eyes dewy and unfocused.

"Look, I'm sure that like…" Kofi laughed, shaking his head. All three men were grinning stupidly and looked fidgety. "You're having a hard time, I get it, fires have been really bad this year… But I dunno why you don't just uh… wait, given your current condition… Not to be an ass or nothin' but if you've never been on the Gauntlet before, you're not going to wanna do it now."

"S' what I'm sayin'" Dean muttered, Cesaro narrowed his eyes. Annoyed.

"I'm stronger than I look," Seth said, looking to Kofi as his scent wavered slightly. "It's none of your business anyway, why do you care?"

All three men shifted awkwardly, caught in their dopey haze. This omega was a complete stranger. There was no reason for them to be dogging after them except to get a whiff of the warm scent he was giving off. Their kindness in returning most of the money was appreciated, but there was no reason for them to stick around. The only thing keeping them rooted to the spot was that smell that felt like it was easing every tension in their bodies. 

Xavier thumbed the book in his hands though, feeling the cloth of the cover under his fingertips. Cesaro stared, sure that they needed the information.

"How much do you want for that book?" Cesaro asked, pointing. Xavier gripped the tome a little tighter.

"H-how much you got?" Xavier said, sounding dumb again. "I didn't… I didn't wanna sell it."

"Dude, they need it more than you do!" Kofi scoffed, pointing to Seth. "Are you serious?"

"It's a  _ cool _ book." Xavier said, thumping the cover and eyeing Seth carefully. "You don't have nothing like it already?"

"We came out here with  _ not shit _ ." Dean said, hopping up and coming to Xavier's side, putting a hand on the cover. "Are you an omega? Are you pregnant with triplets?"

Cesaro stiffened and Xavier's eyes widened. Seth shrunk against the tree and Dean looked slightly pale. He surely hadn't meant to give that information away… For a sick moment, Cesaro wondered if the palace had released any information about Seth's disappearance. But none of the men's expressions wandered beyond fascination and sudden, utter delight. 

"Wait, you're havin'  _ three _ ?" Big E pressed a jacket into Seth's hand. "Please, we're all going up North to work in the mines. Dangerous work. You  _ gotta _ bless our stuff!"

"E," Xavier mumbled, Big E turned, suddenly ecstatic, eyes bulging. 

"This is our lucky day boys! I got to punch that ugly hoss that stole my money last year! And we got ourselves a goddamn rabbit's foot here!" He beamed, coming down on his knees and offering up his hands. Dean frowned, still shaken from his unintentional admission of Seth's condition.

Seth began to bundle the jacket in his hands, hesitant. Cesaro grit his teeth.

"We'll bless whatever you want, but you need to give up the book," he bargained. "We don't want any trouble, but we are losing daylight and we must get going. If the Gauntlet is as bad as you make it sound, we must hurry."

"We can… we can go with you…" Xavier said, holding tighter to his book. He was inexorably drawn to the omega and the words were falling out of his mouth. "We're… we're going to same way, right? We could help make sure you stay safe…"

"Y'all can fight?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. E had grabbed his axe and was shaking with excitement, watching Seth knead his wrists against the material of the jacket. 

"That won't be necessary," Cesaro cut in, shaking his head firmly. "We have weapons also."

"Yeah and you  _ clearly  _ know how to use them," Kofi laughed, grabbing his own sword and waiting behind E as though Seth was a shoe shiner. Cesaro's nostrils flared. 

"We can help, really," Xavier said, rubbing his eyes and trying to center himself. "We've traveled through the Gauntlet, what, six times now? Plus we know all the backroads. Hell, we know the locals really good too! If we had any trouble, we could get you out."

"I'm not interested." Cesaro said, standing up and bearing his height down over the men. Dean hovered awkwardly, feeling the tension, but Seth paused his blessing and looked up to Cesaro calmly. 

"It's okay, really," Seth muttered, putting a hand on his lover's knee. "They helped us."

"Yes, but, Schatzchen, we just need the book-" Cesaro mumbled, coming down to a knee and looking at Seth firmly. "It is already dangerous enough…" Cesaro looked up to Dean, who raised an eyebrow. Seth blinked, wondering what the implication was. 

" _ I've _ gone through the Gauntlet," Dean snorted. "You two are the only ones that  _ haven't _ . You're neck deep in humanity and if we can't get Se-Tyler… If we can't get  _ Tyler's  _ scent blocked appropriately I dunno how the hell we're actually gonna do it."

Dean kicked a rock down into the stream, looking away. Cesaro exhaled deeply, sure that he didn't want to put off any more toxic alpha scent.

He was so tired, so stressed out. Cesaro really didn't need this.

"So you tell me _ now _ ?" He asked calmly, "We've been heading North for  _ days _ ." 

"You guys know any doctors or midwives or anything?" Dean asked, ignoring Cesaro. He nodded to Seth. "We need to get as North as possible as fast as possible, but we could use a hand. You don't know a better way to get where we need to go without going through the Gauntlet?"

Seth handed the jacket back to Big E and was daintily handed the handle of the man's axe. It was heavy and Seth shifted it in the dirt, running his fingers over the wood carefully. 

"I don't know when I am supposed to give birth," he admitted dully, commanding the attention of the others, even when his voice was quiet and mumbled. "I don't want it to happen on the road."

Xavier was unable to really think, his whole head felt like it was full of cotton and he had to take a few steps away from the the omega under the tree. Big E blinked, watching Seth stroke the axe. Kofi paced for a moment, fingers anxiously toying with his locks. 

"That apple lady," Xavier said, stopping and pointing in the air. "The really nice one."

"With the orchard?" Big E asked. "Bayley, yeah?"

"I thought she said she had babies once or twice."

"She said she delivered  _ cow _ babies. Like, on a farm." 

"Is it all that different?" Kofi asked, "Nah man, I thought she said she had people come through too though." 

Dean and Cesaro watched, back and forth. 

"That it though?" E laughed, bubbly. "Man, how would we know any doctors…"

"Where is the farm?" Seth asked with interest. Kofi and Big E hastened to answer, as though taken aback that Seth would even address them. 

"It's in the woods-"

"But not like, it's an apple orchard, not quite a farm type of thing. It's on this little lake that's supposed to be all magic or something-"

"It is magic, I swam in it." Big E said, nodding fast. 

"The lady that run it, she lives alone but she takes in guests and things, there's cabins-"

"She can't pay much, but we picked apples for a whole season one year. She's probably makin' her applejack right now and all-"

"We're not going there, wherever it is." Cesaro cut in, stepping in front of Seth and coming down to a knee. "Schatzchen… I know that it has been hard, but we need to… keep focused on our goal, yes? I know it sounds scary... " he swallowed, sure that he couldn't outright say ' _ we need to get the hell out of the bounds of the king or else we're fucked _ ' but sure that his tone telegraphed the urgency. "But I would not let anything happen to you…"

Seth held Cesaro's hands, looking down at his own belly. The babies were shifting a little, sensing the energy in the air. The three men didn't seem suspicious at all and Seth didn't really know why Cesaro couldn't trust them. On one hand, it was dangerous to let others in on their business, but they seemed kind and helpful. The book the man called Xavier was holding was very important, but if something happened where they were attacked again, they'd proven woefully unable to defend themselves. Worse yet, if Seth suddenly fell ill, it would be smart to have others around that could find help or assist. 

Seth knew he couldn't keep going on the road like this, as much as it pained him to admit it. He'd never been such a crying mess in his life and his immobility was really making his life hell. They hadn't stopped for a break yet, and Seth was running out of weight to lose to stress and hunger. 

"Does this woman like omegas?" Seth asked, looking over Cesaro's shoulder to Kofi and Big E. "The Bayley woman."

"Y-yeah," Kofi said hesitantly, "Yeah, probably."

" _ Tyler _ ," Cesaro pleaded. Seth felt his eyes wet, but he swallowed back the tears, trying to be strong and composed for once. "We _ just  _ met them…" 

"What do we do after the Gauntlet?" Seth asked, mouthing to Cesaro, inaudible. "We don't know… I don't know…" He put Cesaro's hands on his belly, trying to make his case. 

There was a moment where they stared at each other that Seth wondered if Cesaro might not allow him to make this choice. His brown eyes looked dark black, curling with distress and anger. Neither way was a guarantee, but the change of plans meant admitting they never really had any. Everyone hovered, looking out of place and awkward, and Seth pulled Cesaro as close as he could with his stomach between them. The absence of wind made the cicadas louder and the heat mirage twinkled behind them. 

"I want to see the book, please," Cesaro muttered, standing up and offering out his hand. "Please do not bother Tyler to bless other things, we will have plenty of time." Seth stood up too, slowly leaning on the tree until he came to standing. Xavier's heart lept.

"I dunno about you guys, but  _ fuck _ coal, I'm down to do apples again this year!" he cheered, pumping the air with his fist. Kofi and Big E looked slightly dazed, unsure of what they'd just agreed to. Cesaro took the book and went to the carriage while Dean looked to Seth for some kind of explanation. 

"We'll head to the place you talked about," Seth said, resting his hands on his belly and nodding to the three men. "Thank you so much for your help… we have had a really rough time of it." 

Cesaro was sitting cross legged, facing away from the group with the book in his lap. Seth's chest stung a little, but he knew that they needed some space. 

"It's all good, yeah, we won't charge you  _ too _ much for our fees." E snickered, vibrating with happiness as he stroked his now-blessed axe. "How about that now?" he turned to his friends.  "Do a little good every day, and you're rewarded with ample compensation and some sweet  _ sweet _ omega vibes." 

Seth turned pink, looking at the ground. He'd had a few overzealous attendants and his fair share of awkward attention when he'd been growing up. Being outside the palace meant no one wore herb-masks for manners. Omegas were rare and in a lot of smaller towns, they made a living off of making appearances for festivals and carnivals. 

Seth supposed once his children were born, that might be his only means of providing for the family, assuming he had any sort of public life again.

"I do want privacy though," Seth said sternly, looking meaningfully between the three men. "I'm usually feeling the least sick after lunch, any other time, I don't want to be bothered. If I need something, I expect that you'll help me, but also my friends." 

"Of course," they mumbled, nodding fast and smiling awkwardly. "Sure Tyler,"

"You said that you'd read that book too-" Seth said, pointing to Xavier and glancing at Cesaro, who was still sitting and reading. "Ces… uh… Claudio likes to take care of me, but if he can't-"

"I'll help! I want to help!" Xavier spluttered. "I was just reading the part about pregnancies and stuff! I'll memorize it!"

"He's a huge dork, he totally will." Kofi said, nodding fast. Seth held out his hands and squeezed Xavier's thumbs, a pretty common means of thanks between an omega and his old assistants. Xavier looked as though he might pass out with glee. 

Seth walked past the men and went back to the carriage, approaching his moody lover. He reached out, putting his hand to Cesaro's back, kneading the tight muscles carefully. 

"Thank you, I know that was very hard." Seth said softly, letting out as deep of a sigh as he could with his lungs in a cramped space. Cesaro nodded, turning. "I know you just want what's best. You kept me safe today… I just… I don't know…"

"Nobody does," Cesaro sighed, leaning into Seth's touch. It was a little strange, to feel the roles reversed somewhat. Seth had never felt the need to soothe his lover. Cesaro was so grounded, it usually didn't need doing. 

"Do you like apples?" Seth asked, choking on a laugh, Cesaro snorted, finding Seth's hand and squeezing it. 

"Yes, apples are good," He chuckled. "If everything goes right, I would quite like a pint of applejack when we get there."

"Me too," Seth admitted, struggling to hoist himself up into the carriage. "And a bed… with sheets…. Clean clothes."

"Whatever you want… Tyler…" Cesaro grinned.

"Why Tyler?" Seth asked, rearranging his robes and watching as Dean, Xavier, Big E and Kofi came walking to the carriage.

"It just was on the tip of my tongue, I do not know," Cesaro shrugged, patting Seth's belly and snapping the book shut. 

* * *

Charlotte hadn't imagined that the trip would take any longer than a few days, and her patience wore thin, riding around the slums and low income neighborhoods, looking for a trace of Seth Rollins. They had gone out onto the frontier road, but after a few useless tips had led them astray, they were close to the palace again and getting antsy.

"We'll ride out to the Gauntlet tomorrow after we restock our food." Charlotte said, brushing out her horse's hair where the saddleblanket had rested. Dana nodded and relayed the information. If they rode all day and night, they would get right up to the start of the refugee path and Charlotte was sure that they'd turn up a positive identification of some sort. It puzzled them all, how one of the smelliest omega's they'd known could have evaded notice so thoroughly. 

"Alexa is wondering if we're going to ride the Gauntlet." Dana asked, leaning in the doorframe of the stable. Charlotte sighed.

"If we have to," she muttered. "If we get there and we have reason to believe that we should, we will. Honestly, if we get there and there's no evidence he's been there, we'll likely still go. It's not like we have any other leads."

"We could just  _ say _ we went," Dana whined, fixing her hair and sighing. "We've been out long enough."

"I want Rollins." Charlotte said, fixing Dana with a stare. "We  _ aren't  _ half assing this."

She could explain her reasons later, but the more Charlotte thought about it, the more she was sure she needed to know  _ whatever _ it was that King Helmsley was keeping from her. Even if Rollins was dead or the babies were dead, Charlotte wasn't above hauling a corpse home and demanding that she was told what she wanted to know. 

She deserved it. Really, she was boiling with rage over the fact that she hadn't been expressly notified. Not everything had to be politics, and Charlotte hated feeling like some bargaining chip. She'd find the omega and if she didn't get what she wanted, she was prepared to raise hell.

_ I could threaten his life _ , Charlotte thought, grinning to herself.  _ Hold Rollins hostage, demand to know what I want… I deserve it. _

If all it took was riding the Gauntlet, she'd do it. But thankfully, they didn't have to leave the city with much doubt for their course of action. Stopping by the market to buy feed for the horses, Charlotte paused, her gaze fixed on a man with bright orange hair a few stalls down. He had a crude, hand written sign that read OMEGA BLESSED ITEMS in an untidy scrawl.

"Just humor me," Charlotte laughed to her friends, grabbing the towel with Rollin's scent and walking over to the stand. The man appeared to have sold quite a few items and he beamed up at Charlotte, counting a pile of cash. 

"Hallo Miss," The man said in a thick accent. "Everythin' here was blessed by the same omega just a few days ago. Prices are as marked."

"I see," Charlotte said, putting the towel to her face and taking as deep a breath as she could muster. Even though her sense of smell wasn't as strong as most, she could still sense that faint buzz, sweet and warm and relaxing. It made her head hurt. 

"Was the omega in heat?" Charlotte asked, as though she was inquiring about a dog. Setting the towel down, she picked up a quilt from the table and pressed it to her nose, matching the scent. 

_ The same. _

"No, 'e was pregnant." The man grinned, looking loopy and overjoyed to share the information. "Think it made 'e scent a lot stronger, that sorta maternal… stink, yeah?"

"I'd like to talk wholesale," Charlotte said, rubbing her nose and grimacing a little. "Where is the omega now?"

"Oh, eh," The man blushed and his eyes widened, seeing the palace crest imprinted on her tunic. Charlotte smiled and tilted her head, pointing back to her horse. "He's… he's not around no more."

"Why don't you come and talk with me for a minute." Charlotte said silkily. "Just a few moments… I have a couple questions I'd like to ask…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This went un-beta'd, so I apologize for run on sentences!


	7. Thieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can Seth make it to the apple orchard in time?

Just riding by the refugee road was enough proof for Cesaro that they wouldn't have succeeded. The path widened and more carts and travellers went by, all headed in the direction of the winding northern road that would take them onto the frontier. As they passed, Dean and their new friends Xavier, Big E and Kofi could all see that they were being watched. Eyes shifted inquisitively over the cart, trying to place the scent, but not entirely convinced to intervene. Seth was relegated to hiding under several blankets despite the heat, slathered with concealer and completely miserable.

"Just a little longer," Cesaro said, stroking his hair and propping up his lover on several pillows, reading to him quietly. "We will be in the woods soon enough and then we can try to wash you up."

Seth just nodded and sighed. His fingers itched to scratch the white paste on his neck where it was irritating his skin. Everything hurt, the carriage bumped terribly and the rash from the concealer was creeping down his neck and onto his shoulders, as well as onto his wrists and arms. For a distraction and some possible reprieve of suffering, Cesaro often read out loud from the omega book, looking for help.

He turned the pages grimly, trying to find something nice to read. Some of the passages were grisly, showing anatomical drawings that made his stomach clench. He'd read through some of the sections about omega pregnancies and multiple births, but almost every instruction and guideline expressed the need for direct and well supervised medical care. 

"So you are about… seventeen weeks now…" Cesaro said, patting Seth's belly with one hand and holding the book upright with the other. "Heh, but… a little bigger." He pointed to the drawing of a formed baby inside an omega's belly, small and barely distended in comparison to Seth's. 

"That's more like it," Seth grumbled, pointing to the drawing for a full term baby at forty weeks. His belly was easily as full. "How big am I supposed to get?"

"I do not think it shows that," Cesaro sighed, flipping through a few different pages. "Rather big, I would imagine."

"I miss sleeping on my back," Seth whined, wiping sweat off his forehead. "And on my front..."

Cesaro didn't have much to say in response, sighing and continuing to pet Seth's stomach in a way that he hoped was comforting. The book was helpful in a lot of ways; for instance, it suggested a lot of fresh foods and fruit to help with nausea and heartburn. Their diet on the road had left a lot to be desired, but between the six of them, they secured a lot of watermelon, kiwis and bananas in Rappleforth that became Seth's private stock of snacks. Though it wasn't very filling, it kept Seth from puking more than once a day, which was a huge improvement. 

There wasn't much to be helped in regards to back pain or bladder control though, as Seth was forced into shamefully relieving himself in a jug to avoid detection during the day. He was fidgety and sleeping poorly, prone to little breakdowns and swelling in his wrists and ankles. All the book could say was to rest easy, be patient, or try some herb or root that they had no access to.

But still, Cesaro read on and traded the book back and forth between Seth and Xavier. There was some information about labor that was vital, and so he wasn't regretting his decision to allow the three other men into their group.

Though it was a little weird, being addressed by a fake name all the time. 

"Aye Claudio, this is a good stop up here," Kofi called, hopping up to the curtain they'd erected around Seth and nearly knocking the whole thing over. "There's a little campsite nearby, might have some folks around, but they're kinda separated." 

"No people," Seth whined, scratching hard at his concealer. "I  _ need _ to wash this off, it's  _ burning _ ."

"Can we go farther?" Cesaro asked. "Beat the crowds?"

"The horses are tired," Kofi said grimly, watching Seth pout. "I can… ask E…"

Without Seth's scent drifting over them like a fog, things were more awkward between all the men. Everyone was more jumpy and Dean looked irritable, pinching a sunburn and trying to nap all day to avoid being bothered. It was difficult to suddenly be denied such a rich and lovely scent that acted on the body like a drug, but Cesaro's proximity to Seth meant he wasn't fully denied. 

The next day they were fully immersed into the woods. The day after that, the path began to shrink again, much less developed and traveled than it had been kilometers back near the Gauntlet. According to Cesaro's map, they were heading into the western country where loggers usually worked in the winter, floating wood down the rivers. Several months into the dry season, the leaves were strained and dying, falling from the trees in loads and crunching sharply under the horse's' hooves. The evening fires went ablaze easily and Seth watched from a distance, sick to death of smelling wood smoke and dirt. 

"Bayley's orchard is great though, the lake is magic," Xavier explained, sitting on a rock and fanning smoke away from his eyes. 

"What do you mean  _ magic _ ?" Dean asked lowly. Seth smiled a little, listening in. 

"It's been blessed by omega witches or something," E said. "I swam in it after I pulled a muscle and it lit me right up. No pain. Cured."

"I think Bayley is the only person that lives there all the time, she's sorta the guardian of it," Xavier continued, moving aside as Cesaro put more wood on the fire. "But she takes people in a lot and she knows lots of trappers and stuff that will set up camp by the lake. It's a really sweet gig, she just can't pay much and doesn't want folks to stay too long."

"Like how long?" Cesaro asked. Xavier shook his head. 

"Like,  _ years _ , we'll be fine," he said, gesturing expansively. "Tyler can have his babies there… if… if you wanted. It's very peaceful and nice.

Seth didn't know where he wanted to have his babies, but he knew that he didn't want it to be a surprise. With or without the book, he still felt as though he had no idea what he was doing and the lingering fear of dying during the birth hadn't really gone away. With each day, Seth's belly grew a little rounder and his head hurt more, trying to imagine how it was all going to work. He'd become very emotionally attached to all three of the babies, but it seemed naive to think they might all be alright and unharmed. 

A few more days in the woods and traffic had dwindled to a cart with mules and a few occasional refugees that were walking on foot. The weather remained hot and humid and before the path strayed from the river, they loaded up on water one last time. 

"There's another little stream before the orchard, but it might be dried up," Kofi said, considering his own canteen. "We gotta ration a little."

"My piss is already dark," Seth said, looking a little panicked. "How many days will it take?"

"Not long, you're alright Tyler," Xavier assured. Immediately all three of the newcomers were assuring Seth he was infallible. "You drink as much as you need to… the horses are the worst offenders anyway!"

"Little sips," Dean muttered, licking his own lips. "No more face washing."

When they arrived at the dried up river bed, Seth was feeling ill again. His neck had scabbed over and although he'd been encouraged to drink as much as necessary, he felt guilty doing so in front of the others. He'd started to get a lot more dizzy than usual, seeing spots in his vision and feeling his belly cramp up uncomfortably. The babies squirmed and Seth hissed, unable to hide it from Cesaro any longer. 

"Lay down Schatzchen..." he said, fingers trembling as Seth held his belly hard, screwing up his face. "Breathe… relax…"

Cesaro himself panicked, easing Seth onto the padded bench in order to pluck the book out of Xavier's hands. He hurriedly flipped to a passage he'd forced himself to read just a few days previously that had mentioned problematic symptoms. If Seth was feeling pain in his stomach, he could be experiencing complications. 

"I'm alright, honest," Seth sniffed, drinking big gulps of water and rubbing the spot on his stomach, willing the pain to go away. He knew at this point, there really wasn't much they could do to ease his suffering. He laid back down, trying to breathe deeply and not cry. He tried not to think about how much simpler it would be for everyone else if he just faded out and died. 

"How much longer?" Cesaro asked Xavier, white faced. "Where is the orchard? When will we arrive?"

"Probably… tomorrow?" Xavier asked, accepting the map being thrust into his hands. Dean was sitting up at full attention, looking tough, but rattled. "I think it was just down into a valley and then we get close… you start to smell the lake…"

Cesaro sat up with Seth all night and encouraged him to eat his fill. Upon inspecting his undergarments under the white moon light, Cesaro was relieved not to find any blood, but Seth's scent still seemed weak and diffused, an effect of the pain he was feeling. 

"Just one more day and we can eat apples," Cesaro said, pressing his lips to Seth's forehead and squeezing his fingers tight. It was very hard not to cry; Seth was present and alert, but his eyes were shut tight against the bright moon. "We will be safe and I can take you to the lake and get you nice and clean… no more travelling or concealing. We'll stay and pick apples and you will have the babies there. We will practice everything and it will go okay."

"If it doesn't go okay…" Seth began, weakly. Cesaro screwed up his face, unwilling to lose himself in front of his lover. "If something happens to me… please make sure the babies are alright…" Seth squeezed Cesaro's fingers hard. "Get them out of me… so that way they'll be fine..." 

Cesaro knew from reading the book that the babies would die if they were born too early, but he just nodded, sniffing hard. Dean sat up by their fire, watching the embers fizzle out while the others slept. 

"If this situation shits the bed, I'll still help," he said as Cesaro passed. Cesaro stopped in his tracks, staring at Dean's back as he continued. "If it all goes bad, I'll help you with whatever you need."

"We just need to get to the orchard," Cesaro said, sure he could thank Dean if he ever really needed to. Cesaro didn't sleep at all that night, sitting up with Seth until morning to make sure he was alright. 

Down through the valley and onto a grassy meadow path that looked like it had been made by deer, Cesaro only felt relief when he heard dogs barking at a wooden gate and a bright faced young woman greeted them, slightly taken aback. 

"Bayley girl! You remember us, right?" Kofi asked, hopping down from the cart. Cesaro and Dean immediately hopped out too, all business. Seth was stirring from his spot, feeling a little better after a small lunch. 

"We have an omega with us in a desperate situation-" Cesaro said, immediately cutting to the chase and lowering his voice. "My lover, he has been on the road for many days and he is carrying more than one baby-"

"He's sick?" the woman named asked, her cheery demeanor faltering. "Lets… let's go inside and I can see what I can do…"

There were a few other people walking around the grounds of Bayley's orchard and homestead, moving farm equipment and glass containers for applejack. A few people paused, fielding their attention, but Cesaro didn't care, too busy to really take in the grounds beyond the gate. They unloaded the carriage right by Bayley's cottage house and Seth walked slowly inside, shucking off his blankets and slumping onto a chair in her kitchen, holding his belly woefully.

Everyone was given a glass of applejack to calm down and Bayley very carefully washed Seth's neck and wrists, breaking off the old white chalky paste and immediately blinking hard from the unleashed scent. 

"You can stay, I'll… I'll have the lodge made up for you... " she said, grabbing her shirt up to her face to cover her nose. "We'll get you settled and acquainted and maybe we can talk a little more…see what I can't do to help."

The moment Seth was shown a bed, he seemed to sag, too tired to cry or really express any sort of thankful, positive response. He simply sank down into it, sighed, and began to snore softly with his fingers holding his stomach. 

"Thank you," Cesaro said wetly, looking to Bayley with the upmost gratitude. "We would be in very rough shape without you." 

"It's perfectly okay!" Bayley said, patting Cesaro's shoulder. "Maybe he just needs a little rest! We'll talk tomorrow about how you can help me, but for right now, I'll see what Carmella was making for dinner and get you guys some grub." 

The lodge was fitted with enough beds for twelve people, but nobody else was using the space except their own little team. Kofi, Xavier and Big E took some time to look around their former positions and Dean napped while Cesaro took a few moments to himself, trying to calm his mind and think clearly. The little orchard was a hub of activity, the lodge had running water and there were two large tubs with a few well used bars of soap. Dogs, cats, and chickens seemed to roam freely, and the smell of apples was almost as overwhelming as Seth's scent, crisp and ready to be harvested. The supposedly magical lake gleamed bright and cool on the edge of the orchard, surrounded by tall trees. 

"I'm feeling better," Seth announced after he woke from his nap, sitting up a little and kneading his eyes. "Still hurts… but I'm not as dizzy…"

Cesaro came to his side and breathed him in graciously, calmed by the scent. If Bayley would let them stay at the orchard for a few months and they could avoid detection, it was probably the best plan they had. It was difficult to say what would happen if Seth's identity was revealed or if royal guards came knocking on Bayley's front door, but Seth's condition made it impossible to trek much farther. If they'd managed to escape before he'd gotten so large, they might have had a shot, but Cesaro didn't want to waste time thinking about what could have been.

That night, after a hearty meal with the rest of Bayley's workers, Cesaro ventured down to the lake and found a small sandy opening next to the little dock which extended about thirty feet into the water. The lake was cool and mostly still, and after dark, fireflies began to dot the reeds, blinking on and off in the humid night.

True to his word to bathe his lover, and interested to uncover any magical properties, Cesaro brought Seth down to the water's edge. He kept watch for a while before he stripped down, sure that he'd given the rest of their party the slip. Seth struggled a little, but held onto the dock, noiselessly shucking off his dirty robes and standing naked in the moonlight. 

It was wonderfully calm, and for the first time really since they'd escaped, Cesaro allowed his shoulders to sag. He took a deep breath and held out his hand for Seth to grab, walking confidently into the sandy lake and watching Seth waddle behind him, quiet and serene.

Dinner had helped, and the nap in the bed had helped even more. They'd made it,  _ sort of.  _ They had each other and, as far as they knew, the babies were alright. Cesaro gave pause as he felt his crotch enter the cool water and he heard Seth moan a little, sinking into the watery depths and sighing hard. 

"Nice?" Cesaro asked, watching his lover flop onto his back. The water carried him weightlessly and his belly sat above the surface, huge and round. His hair trailed behind him and Seth closed his eyes, scratching his overlong beard. 

"It's perfect," he said, words falling from his slack mouth. "Don't you feel it too?"

Cesaro sank down a little and felt his spine tingling. Just as Big E had said, all of his achy, sore muscles began to unravel, un-wound and lax. His mind went still and calm and even the slight touch of indigestion he was feeling seemed to vanish, making him feel cool and light. The lake  _ was  _ some sort of magic. 

"I wanna drink it," Seth slurred, rolling over to tug on Cesaro's leg, making soft splashes. "Might help the babies…"

"Maybe," Cesaro said stupidly, pulling his lover onto his lap as best as he could. "It feels very nice."

"I want to have them here," Seth said, putting a hand to his bump and leaning against Cesaro's chest, mumbling against his skin. "If the woman will let us."

"I hope so, it seems best." Cesaro hummed. The water felt perfect against his skin, warm to the touch. With praising hands, he reached out and found Seth's belly, putting his fingers on the rounded surface and stroking the sprig of a hair that streaked downwards, towards his crotch. Seth hummed back, putting his hands over Cesaro's and sighing quietly. 

"You're the most important thing," Cesaro admitted, leaning down to kiss Seth's stomach and nearly breathing water up into his nose. "You and the babies. I don't know how you have done all of this so well, I want to make sure that I am there for you, now that we have some time to sit."

"It's been hard," Seth admitted. "I think I know how you can help though…" 

With a jerk to his wrist, Cesaro grinned, feeling butterflies in his chest as Seth's hand drew his own down under his belly to where his cock and slit where. The water seemed to grow warmer and Seth's already dense scent doubled, heavy and needy. Cesaro's dick had been scared soft for days, made useless by all the stress and sleepless nights, but he came to life, brushing his fingertips over the little bundle in his hands. 

"We have to be quiet," Cesaro whispered, pushing his nose to Seth's ear and breathing deeply, feeling his mind melt as he felt around, earning a few purrs. Seth's little dick pressed up against his belly, happily vibrating. He let out a little squeak as Cesaro kissed down his neck and tasted lake water. Brushing up against the omega's chest, Seth jolted, clearly hypersensitive. 

"D-do it again-" Seth whimpered, arching his ribs forward as much as his girth would allow. With his unoccupied hand, Cesaro massaged the surface of his chest, feeling the soft nipples pucker and harden under his hands. He grinned, watching his lover bite his lip and swivel. His chest hadn't really filled out yet, but Cesaro expected that would change after a few regular meals and rest. With plenty of teasing, he pulled Seth into the shallows and laid flat, tugging his interested cock to hardness. 

"I'm so big now-" Seth moped, watching Cesaro's dick stick right out of the water, fat and symmetrical. "How do I-?"

"Sit in my lap, Schatzchen," Cesaro said softly, patting at his hips and holding his hands up to help guide Seth over him. Doubtfully, Seth complied, his mouth hanging open a little as he lowered down and worked to fit himself around the cock that had so thoroughly knocked him up. Ungainly as he was, Cesaro kept his hands fixed against his lover's sides, allowing Seth to rock into a little shuffle that had them both biting their tongues to keep from moaning loudly. After so many months apart, they were re-learning their bodies all over again, nearly crying from the tender smell of both of their scents twining together in the air.

"Don't put 'nymore in me," Seth chuckled, feeling Cesaro shake and stir, preparing to shoot as he struggled to keep his face above the water.

* * *

Living at the orchard was a blessing, consistently enough that Seth found he could actually be properly cheerful for the first time since he'd gotten pregnant.

Sure, the initial few weeks had been stressful in their own ways, but with Cesaro at his side, Seth found a schedule he and the babies seemed able to manage. Each morning he roused early, pulling himself out of the bed over the course of a few minutes. He brushed his hair and rubbed his belly with a liberal amount of lotion before taking a short walk to the distillery on the other side of Bayley's house.

When he'd first arrived, Seth had tried his best to pick apples with Dean and the rest of the group, carrying a little basket and working his way to the low hanging branches to get the apples at their ripest. But just an hour in, his feet were swollen hard and he was dizzy and cramping again. Cesaro consulted the omega book with a sober expression on his face.

"Schatzchen, I am afraid something bad will happen if you push yourself too hard again. The road was very rough on you," he said, squeezing his palm as Seth sat on a log, hopeless. 

"But I can't even  _ move _ ," Seth whined, kneading his upper belly hard. "Why does it hurt so much?"

"I do not know, but the book says that you may need to rest in bed until the babies are born." Cesaro said, watching Seth groan and shake his head. "If you don't… the babies may not be okay…"

So instead, Seth sat and tried canning apples for a few weeks. But when the fast pace of the activity became too much, Bayley employed him to bless the spirits they were making from the comfort of a plush pile of cushions in the distillery. Cesaro, Dean, Xavier, Kofi and Big E worked outside and Seth was free to take breaks and eat at his own discretion. Working with his scent unbridled, he quickly became a fast favorite with the rest of the workers and everyone wanted to visit with him when they got the chance.

"Apple crisp?" the woman named Carmella offered him sweetly between breaks. "You's becomin' my taste tester!"

All the food tasted too good to pass up and Seth was more than happy to eat whatever was put in front of him. Dean and Cesaro began to look a little less peaky than when they'd arrived, but Seth was making up for lost time and finally looking healthy and well-fed. His stomach was running out of room to widen as the babies grew, and soon he began to thicken outwards, causing his back a lot of dismay. 

"It's itchy no matter what I wear," he moped, drawing up the length of his robe to show Cesaro the angry red stretch mark that was coming right up to his flattened out belly button. "I thought the lotion would stop me getting all marked up."

"At least the babies are growing," Cesaro sighed, patting the spot. "I was worried for a moment there… that they were affected."

" _ I'm  _ affected," Seth whined, kicking off his shoes. "I'm going to go soak."

Usually once a day, Seth went down to the lake to sit in the water and take some of the tension off his back. What was at first a private activity quickly morphed into some sort of personal omega healing session where Seth blessed various workers with ailments large and small. Some just came to sit on the docks during their break to smoke pipes and sunbathe, happy enough just to be in the midst of Seth's scent. 

The trees had lost all their leaves, but the lake stayed warm and clear, the only spot of moisture in an otherwise very dry place. On the horizon, smoke and dust gathered and Bayley was sure that the fires were especially bad for the season.

"It's not usually that foggy looking," she explained, pointing across the lake to the orange glow that was far off in the distance. "It never reaches us though, the lake keeps us safe."

Still, Dean came back nearly singed after a trade run of Applejack to Rappleforth. For a few days after, he had a strange cough, likely brought on by all the smoke in the air.

"It was real bad," he told Seth and Cesaro one night, sitting neck deep in the lake, sure that the water might do something to help. "Fire on both sides, I thought the horses were gunna choke out on me."

"Thank goodness you made it back," Cesaro said, rubbing Seth's back. "It is not worth it, dying over applejack."

Xavier, Kofi and Big E were just as helpful and obnoxious as they had been on the road, eager to be around Seth even when it wasn't necessary. The three men picked apples all day and spent their nights doing whatever Seth was doing, which was usually snacking and lying around until Cesaro took him to bed. Seth had grown to like their company over time, even if it was just watching Kofi and Big E make jokes at Xavier's expense.

Xavier, for his part, was becoming something of an expert on omega health and dedicated up to an hour a day reading from the book, or working with Seth to stretch and do breathing exercises for the birth. 

"Bayley found this!" he exclaimed one evening, holding up a weird trumpet-like device for everyone to see. The little group had gathered around Seth that evening, falling into a hazy omega cuddling session on the pile of cushions in the distillery. Seth turned his head out of Cesaro's shoulder, raising an eyebrow. 

"It's a horn, you can listen to a baby's heartbeat," Xavier explained, miming sticking the device against his own stomach. "You put your ear to this end. She used this one for cows and stuff… but she cleaned it…"

Seth's heart fluttered, wondering what was possible to hear. It was a little disappointing to know that he couldn't really partake in listening, but Cesaro immediately perked up, helping his lover move into a position that would allow for an examination. Dean, Kofi and Big E watched, interested, but unsure of their own boundaries.

"Does it matter if there's a bunch of babies though?" Seth asked, pulling his robes to rest over the swell of his belly and blushing hard. He was used to a lot of attention on his bump, but maybe not such a concentrated gaze.

"We'll just have to find out." Xavier beamed, hovering over Seth to press the tool against his stomach. Seth helped, trying to make sense of how the babies were resting, and Cesaro looked anxious, as though he wanted to shove Xavier aside and do it himself. 

"It's a little jumbled," Xavier laughed, grinning as he pushed the horn around on Seth's stomach, listening hard. Seth squirmed, uncomfortable. 

"I will do it," Cesaro insisted, putting a hand on Xavier's shoulder, leaving little room for confusion. Slightly annoyed, Xavier shifted over, handing Cesaro the tool and hovering over his shoulder. 

"You have to press a little," Xavier advised, staring down at the man's hands, shifting over Seth's belly carefully. Seth watched his lover lower his head, listening. The whole room went quiet, waiting.

"Oh-" Cesaro's whole face lit up and Seth blushed, watching. "I can hear it? I think? It's so fast!"

"It's a lot faster than it will be once they're born" Xavier noted. Cesaro laughed, listening on and Seth curled his toes. 

"What's it like?" he asked quietly, eyes wet as Cesaro wiped tears from his own cheeks, in awe. Cesaro reached out and held Seth's hand, giving him a series of rapid squeezes. 

"It is like a buzz, they're all going at once," Cesaro explained, pushing around the surface of Seth's belly again. "It's amazing…"

* * *

Of all the men in their weird little group, the only one who wasn't obviously overjoyed to be working the Orchard was Dean Ambrose. The day labor wasn't terrible, and he liked being outside, but watching Cesaro comforting Seth all day reminded him of his own love he'd lost contact with. Sure, the orchard was better than being in prison, and Seth's scent was better than pipe smoke and applejack. But a feeling of restlessness began to overtake his limbs, and everyday seemed sort of pointless. If Dean went to Renee and she rebuffed him, he could understand, but not knowing what her answer would be ate at him.

"I think this place is the best," Seth said lazily one night, sitting cross legged on the floor of their lodge, drinking a night time hot-cider that Bayley had warmed up for them. Dean just stared at his own mug, swirling the contents and sighing.

He didn't have the heart to tell them it was his birthday, not with Cesaro and Xavier worrying back and forth about Seth's health and the babies. It wasn't as though he really cared anyway, but he knew he wasn't really needed now that Seth had someone to rub his back and keep him company. Really, the time he'd spent at the palace had been best, even though Seth was mopey and sick the whole time. These days, all he really did with the omega was provide him with the occasional conversation, which was almost always about the babies and was usually a reiteration of something he'd already said. Seth had started repeating himself a lot lately, which, according to Xavier, was some sort of pregnancy-brain thing. 

"I want to name one of them after you," Seth said, rubbing his bump and smiling to Dean as though he was delivering a high honor. Dean watched, biting his lip, wondering how upset Seth would be if he told him that he'd already decided this last week. 

"Better pick the prettiest one," Dean muttered, watching Seth fussing with his robes. 

The days grew shorter and the air was even drier than before. The glowing light of the distant fires shone ominously brighter and Bayley decided to cancel most of the applejack shipments until she could be sure the path was clear of burning timber. Dean began sitting out with Cesaro's map of the northern wilderness, trying to think of the best way he could rejoin the refugee road and make his way to a port that would take him west again. That evening, the dogs were barking strangely loud, but Dean tried not to let it bother him. 

"Have you seen Seth?" Cesaro asked, not really caring what Dean was doing with their day off. Dean turned, looking over his shoulder. 

"He was at the lake I thought," he said, turning back to his map. Cesaro left quickly, letting the door slam on his way out. Nobody else was in the lodge and Dean sighed, putting his forefinger against the paper, measuring distances to see which ways were shortest. 

The dogs continued to bark outside and Dean frowned, wondering if someone was using the front gate. He rubbed his stubble and blinked, unsure of what his plans actually were. He knew that he wanted to leave, but he wasn't sure when he could act on it. Some part of him sort of wanted to see Seth give birth and make sure he was okay, but he was equally sure the weather would get cold as soon as the fires abated. 

Footsteps were running up to the lodge door and the barking grew louder. Dean looked up in time to see Xavier come sprinting inside, on full alert.

"The fuck is-"

"Tyler's missing," Xavier spat, running through the lodge like a madman and dashing through the rooms, as though Seth could possibly be hiding in a bed. "He's not here!"

"He's missing?" Dean asked, standing up. His heart began to race. It was difficult to really pin-point where Seth was by scent anymore because his smell was so heavy and constant. Outside, people were running around and the dogs chased after them. Instinctually, Dean went to put on his shoes and jacket. Where could such a heavily pregnant omega really _ go? _

"The back fence was broken and there were cart tracks-" Xavier yelled back, skidding to a halt to come back into the room. 

"Then why are you looking in  _ here _ ?" Dean asked loudly. Xavier's face looked downright hysterical. "Has he been taken?"

They froze for a moment and Dean gritted his teeth, feeling his whole body go numb. It was the only logical explanation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments! Just three more chapters left!


	8. Sinister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Seth okay? Charlotte's plot is uncovered and Cesaro makes some decisions.

Nearly a month spent on the road and Charlotte had wanted to quit twice. The thought of riding back to the palace and threatening the king seemed an easier task than chasing the flighty scent of an omega across country. Alexa and Nia were irritable and tired, not used to missions lasting more than a couple weeks. Dana was as steadfast and determined as she could be, but Charlotte knew she was getting tired of relaying information and keeping up morale.

"If we can't find him at the end of this, I'm  _ not  _ going through the Gauntlet for no reason," Alexa had declared as they set up camp near Rappleforth after two days of riding. Charlotte twitched, sure that if she opened her mouth, an argument would ensue. Dana shot her a look and Charlotte walked away, treading a little harder than necessary on the dusty ground. The wind had kicked up everything and it felt like she was breathing in dirt and dust from the fires constantly. Charlotte's eyes were dry and her skin was cracked on her knuckles and elbows. The salve they'd brought along had run out a few days ago.

But still, they kept on, and after Charlotte had gathered all the information she could from the ginger haired man at the market, she was sure in her belief that Rollins had left willingly. The man had been incredibly reluctant to spare any leads, but Nia had broken his hand for good measure.

Apparently, Seth was traveling with a sandy haired man and a taller, bald companion that Charlotte wasn't sure of. She guessed one of them had to be his attendant, and it made sense that they had some sort of accomplice, but Sheamus (as he was called) said he'd only agreed to allow them to stay because Seth was expecting. He kept insisting he didn't know either of the other two, which Charlotte supposed was  _ possible _ . She knew people did all sorts of stupid things for omegas that she didn't understand. 

Nonetheless, really all they had learned was that Seth and the other two men (probably alphas) were travelling along in a cart, most likely to the Gauntlet. The rag they'd been carrying with Rollin's scent had diminished, and Charlotte was now carrying a quilt of Sheamus's that had been blessed. It stunk up all the items in her bag, but she didn't want anyone else to carry it, sure that they'd be compelled to smell the blanket and dilute it's scent. 

"If only one of us had a strong enough nose, this might be easier," Dana lamented to Charlotte, handing her back her canteen after Dana had filled it up. "Did you ever meet anyone in training that was good at sniffing stuff out?"

"No, but that's not a bad idea," Charlotte said, thinking for a moment. Alexa and Nia had gone to rinse their socks out in a small stream. "Can you take lead for the night? I can go and look for a tracker by the refugee outpost tonight. If I'm not back by morning, just head for the Gauntlet and then I'll meet you on the road."

It took two days to catch up again, but Charlotte returned with a beta woman named Alicia Fox. She was the only tracker that would agree to take a job with only twenty percent up front. Tiny and sort of twitchy, with trembling hands, her eyes lit up at the opportunity to track an omega. 

"Oh my god, his shit  _ reeks _ !" Fox laughed, pressing the quilt to her face and giggling madly into it. "Lemme keep it!" she hissed as Charlotte made to take it back, recoiling. 

"So, you can track that then?" Charlotte asked, looking unimpressed. "Do you have a ride?"

The tracker was certainly strange and Dana grit her teeth, watching Alicia kick her horse hard to stay ahead of the group. With all the dust in the air, it was a wonder how the woman could keep a bee line on the scent, even while singing songs and screaming when the occasional bug flew in her mouth. Despite her weird demeanor, Charlotte wanted to be hopeful that she at least knew what she was doing.

"He was here!" Fox screeched, pointing and jerking her horse to sprint off the road, wandering to the bottom of a tree that had lost all it's leaves. Dana, Alexa and Nia all stopped while Charlotte followed Alicia, watching her circle the tree. "It was a while ago though, I can  _ barely _ smell it. There were other people too. Alphas. Horses."

"More than two?" Charlotte asked. "How long ago?"

"Hard to say," Alicia said, tapping her finger to her nose and squinting around. Dana and the rest of the group began to follow in but Alicia screamed, startling the horses. "Don't all come barging in! It's hard to smell!!"

"Well… where did they go?" Charlotte asked, sighing as her horse folded it's ears, stepping backwards, annoyed. 

"Ahead!" Alicia said, kicking her horse back up to the main road again. "I dunno why they stopped! Water I guess?"

It ruined any sense of flow to have Alicia keep pausing and breaking up the momentum of their rides, occasionally screaming and forcing their line to a halt as she found a spot that Rollins apparently had puked or pissed in. The farther they went, the more sure Alicia became that their group had grown. Apparently alpha's scents changed in the presence of an omega, what Alicia described as a 'big brew of nice vibes'. This changed smell was much more recognizable than Rollins' individual scent, and as they progressed, it seemed to be what Alicia was following the most.

"He was sick," Alicia concluded, after a few days ride onto a formerly wooded path. A fire had come upon the area they'd been riding through, but Fox insisted that they hadn't taken the Gauntlet. 

"Is he okay you think?" Dana asked, gritting her teeth. "How can you tell?"

"Smells weird, but it's NOT ash," Alicia said pressing her fist to her nose like a child. "Stress, anxiety… feverish maybe?" 

Nia and Alexa looked a little unimpressed but Charlotte pressed on, trying to keep on task. 

There were a few tense days where they were all uncertain about Alicia's validity as a tracker. Her temperament and sudden change of attitude were ridiculous. Nia was certain that Seth would have taken the refugee route to make a run for it, and nobody knew where the forest path was leading them. 

Despite Fox's insistence, the fires  _ did _ seem to have an affect on her abilities. Twice they wandered in a circle, breaking with the path to follow the direction of her horse, only to end up coughing on dust and back to where they'd been days ago. 

"We'll follow the path until we can figure it out," Dana said, trying to keep Charlotte, Alexa and Alicia from turning on each other in a sudden fit. "If there was many of them, they'd have to stay on the path with a cart, right?" 

Sure enough, at the bottom of the valley, Fox screamed, pressing the blanket to her face again and startling a horse cart that was heading in the opposite direction. Charlotte's heart raced and she turned, staring at the bewildering woman. 

"He's close, he's really really close-" Alicia said, giggling madly. "Up ahead, there's a farm- I can smell apples! There's a lot of people there!" 

"Wait here-" Charlotte said, kicking her horse into a canter and running down the path that sloped into crushed dry reeds. She was dirty and exhausted, sore from riding so many days in a row and down about five pounds from living lean. The sooner she could get Rollins, the sooner she could be back at the palace. The smile of her father flashed in the forefront of her mind for a moment and she was overcome with emotion, seeing a front gate come into view. Charlotte knew she was imagining it, but she thought for a moment that she could smell the omega's scent in the air, leading the way. 

A pair of dogs approached the gate and began to bark attentively. Charlotte froze, considering her options. The orchard might have some sort of security- though technically they were still in the bounds of King Helmsley's realm. If Charlotte wanted to enter and invoke her status, it wouldn't be difficult, but she also knew there was some imminent danger.

For one, she could tell the orchard was densely populated with workers. A few had stopped now, waving to the front and craning their heads as they filled carts. Charlotte waved back, but began to walk away, sure that she needed a moment to think and plan properly. People instinctively were protective of omegas, and if Rollins thought he was in any danger coming with Charlotte, he wouldn't come quietly. He might even convince other people to guard and protect him, which Charlotte could deal with, but not if there was a mob.

"He's  _ there _ ," Alicia assured her as she made her way back up the hill. "He's totally here, he's been here for awhile!"

"Then he's not going anywhere." Charlotte said, hopping off her horse and turning to her friends. "Nia, I want you to go to the orchard and see if we can't buy or barter for some supplies- they seemed friendly enough when I approached, but I don't want us to wear the brand at all." Charlotte began taking off all her royal garments and stuffing them into her travel bag. "We can't look official  _ at all _ , we just need to be refugees or something. I don't want them to see me either. Rollins knows what I look like."

"We gonna stake it out then?" Alexa asked, perking up after weeks of sulking. The fact that they'd finally made some progress had all the women on their feet, practically bouncing up and down. If they got the omega, then they could go home fine. 

"Yeah, I think so," Charlotte said, looking between the women and around the hills that overlooked the valley. "We need to put the horses up and stay off the road so we don't draw attention." She pointed to the thick veil of smoke on the horizon. "Maybe on the other side of the lake? We can light our fires and the smoke will just blend in with the blaze."

Nia went to get supplies, and Alexa rode down an animal trail to find somewhere they could all set up camp. Dana had a cut on her leg, and so she walked down to the lake side to clean it out.

"Soooooo…. Am I getting paid here?" Alicia asked, looking to Charlotte expectantly. "I did like, the  _ best _ job you could ask for."

"Except getting us lost five times," Charlotte said lightly, drinking from her canteen and pushing against her horse's flank so all of their steeds were off the road and out of the way. "You'll be paid when we have the omega in hand."

"That wasn't what we agreed on!" Alicia whined. "You can't just like, move the goalposts on me here! I'm a tracker! Not like, a  _ hunter  _ or anything! Why do you even want this omega so bad? He's already bred, it's not like he can be mated any time soon!"

"It's business of the empire," Charlotte said shortly, watching Alicia's eyes widen angrily. "You'll be compensated in full at the end when we have him, and only after we can get to a town where I can make you a banknote, so don't get any ideas about robbing me, I don't have enough on hand to make it worth your time." 

"You empire fuckers are all the same!" Alicia screamed and Charlotte flinched, putting a finger up to her lips. Yelling on the top of the hill would give them away fast. "Selfish pricks! I gotta eat you know!"

Alicia stormed off, but Charlotte just rolled her eyes. For being a grown woman, Fox was prone to a lot of tantrums. It wasn't as though she was starving either, as they'd all been sharing food communally.

With a fixed point a short distance from the orchard and some long range spyglasses, the women spent the first few days walking around the lake and getting a sense of their positioning. Nia gave a detailed report of the time she'd spent in the area, getting food and a few essentials from a kind hearted woman who ran the orchard. 

"She said that the lake's been blessed," Nia reported back. "I think I smelled the omega there, but I didn't see him. Everything just smelled really… nice…" 

"He's there," Alicia said over and over again, jiggling her knees and looking back and forth between the other women. "If you guys are all important, why don't you just go get him? Tell these people he's wanted!"

"I don't have enough money to buy out the enthusiasm they probably have for his stink." Charlotte said, annoyed. "Alexa, tomorrow you'll go, and then the day after, you'll go Dana-"

"I wanna go-" Fox cut in.

"You're not going," Charlotte said, without pause, she turned to her riders. "When Rollins was on the court, he had long brown hair and a beard, and he was just a little taller than I was," she explained. "Obviously… you'll smell him, and he'll be expecting plenty too. But we need to get an idea of where he's at and what his condition is."

"If he's captive, you think he'll be out walking around?" Alexa asked, raising an eyebrow. Charlotte shook her head. 

"He left of his own volition, I don't doubt it anymore, I  _ know _ it." Charlotte said, looking between the women firmly. "So he's probably not locking himself up, unless he's too sick to be seen. We need to know who's closest to him and if he's being protected. I don't know why he's here of all places, but this place might be more than what it seems. We don't know, but really, I don't give a damn-" Charlotte continued, puffing out her chest and staring hard. "We all want to go home and we just need to get him out of here. If we can do it calmly and cover our tracks, we can ride back at our own pace and we won't have to watch our backs."

"Hell yeah," Alexa said, grinning devilishly. "Let's get him and get out." 

Following Charlotte's command, Alexa went first, under the guise of purchasing apples and taking a tour of the orchard as an interested neighbor from a few miles down the road. On her return, Charlotte thought she looked slightly dopey amidst her concerns.    
  
"I saw him," Alexa said, nodding "He was by the lake with a bunch of people,  _ bathing _ ." She blinked wide, looking personally touched. "He was  _ so _ big, he was just sort of… hanging out and cleaning himself… it was really… nice…"

"So he has bodyguards?" Charlotte interrupted, raising an eyebrow. Alexa shook her head.

"No… it was just people who worked there, just… enjoying the sight I guess," Alexa said, rubbing her forehead and straining, trying to think. "It's hard to explain… but he's so… he's so fragrant, it was like all I could see and smell was him, even if I had my back turned for a second. He had a hard time getting up and around and so people were helping him…"

Dana seemed to share this assessment when she went and Charlotte pressed her, urging to know more things than just  _ he was very sweet and beautiful _ or  _ his scent made me forget what I was doing _ . Charlotte didn't want their plans ruined because the omega was like a noxious plant. 

"He was blessing all the spirits, so I bought a bottle," Dana admitted, laughing as she popped the top off a bottle of applejack and sniffed its contents, humming happily. "Just… just for the road, I guess… once we get him, it'll be like a celebration."

"If we can manage it," Charlotte said, annoyed. "You didn't figure out where he was staying?"

"I'm guessing he's just in the workers houses," Dana said, shrugging. Nia was spooning up a stew and they each took bowls, listening. Charlotte just stood, fuming as Dana continued. "It seems as though he's doing whatever work he can, so I don't think it's like some nest of omegas. He's the only one I saw that was expecting, and I think he was the only person there that really had a scent I could pick up. If you asked me?" Dana said, setting down the bottle and looking seriously to her friend. "He probably went there so he could have his babies. Lady Charlotte, he's  _ huge _ , he looks like he's going to pop any day. If the king wants the babies safe, I don't know if it's a good idea to be dragging him onto the road right now!" 

"He's carrying more than one baby," Charlotte said, eyes darting to Fox. She didn't really want to give all their info away, but it seemed unavoidable at this point. Alicia sat, raptly listening, missing her mouth with her spoon. "He just looks big because he's full of triplets, that's all."

"But… still…" Dana said, looking around to the other four women. "None of us have had any kids… right? We don't know anything about omegas. Are we gonna get in trouble if one of the babies dies?"

Nobody seemed able to answer the question and Charlotte curled her lip thinking. If King Helmsley was going to be upset with anyone, it had better be the damn omega that had run out into the wilderness without a clue as to how to care for himself in his condition. If Charlotte had come upon Seth, dead in the grass, she'd still have insisted she was compensated for her troubles. 

But Hunter had clearly said  _ bring Rollins back safe with the babies  _ in regards to the intel with her father. If one or all of the babies died, she wasn't sure if she'd be given what she wanted. Angrily, her fist curled and Dana sat quietly, eating her soup. The whole mission was abysmally stupid, Charlotte just couldn't believe that she couldn't pluck Rollins safely and get them back in time for the stupid omega to give birth or miscarry on Hunter's watch. 

"It's about a two week ride back home, correct?" Charlotte asked, looking to Dana. The women thought for a moment, nodding. 

"We could probably do it in ten days or so, if the horses got some rest," Alexa said, twirling her hair.    


"We have time," Charlotte said aloud to herself, staring down into the the valley where Rollins was presumably lounging around. "We'll do it, I don't care what it takes. He's not a pane of glass."

Charlotte spent a few days spying from the sidelines of the orchard, laying low in the brush with an herb mask, only moving when she could be sure she wasn't seen. The whole area was polluted with the omega stink, and despite her own distaste for the smell, she made an effort to find the lake area where Rollins supposedly had been bathing and sunning himself. Late in the afternoon, she was able to locate him and her heart raced, finally finding her target.

He was undeniably huge, practically immobile by the weight he was carrying in his front. Despite it all though, he looked very content and happy, sitting on the dock and stretching with another dark skinned man, and then laying on his side while his ankles were rubbed. It was too far for Charlotte to make out their voices, but she watched raptly as their mouths moved, laughing and talking quietly to one another. She couldn't help despising the omega, looking ripe and kind and sweet. His selfish actions had put her through more trouble than she was used to dealing with at her position. Rollins had always been a pest, and Charlotte was already angry, thinking about how she'd be sniffing the herb mask for weeks to combat the dull-headed omega stink. 

They'd take him at night and ride for morning. Alexa was sure of a sedative she could make up that would cause no harm to the babies, and she concocted the solution at their makeshift camp and loaded the liquid onto a dart. Alicia was particularly annoyed that she wasn't being implemented in the procedure, but Charlotte was sure she couldn't demand any extra money for being held off of the kidnapping. 

"We only have four herb masks," Charlotte said, retying her own over her face to make the fit more snug. "You'll probably be too compromised to help much anyway."

"Says you," Alicia snorted. "Just because I can sniff them out good doesn't mean it makes me all gooey. I've smelled  _ way _ more omegas than you!"

"Rollins stinks though." Alexa laughed, loading up her dart and looking to Charlotte. "We need to catch him sitting or lying down and we need to move quick, if I don't get his neck, he might yell or go down slower." 

"The cart'll be right there," Charlotte said. "Nia, you'll dart any of the dogs that start barking."

* * *

When Seth woke the first time, his head hurt so much he cried out, his hands seizing as he tried to reach for his face. He couldn't see and his heart was racing, terrified. It had been months since he'd slept so deeply that he'd had the chance to dream, but something felt very wrong. Voices echoed around him from owners that were in some sort of circle, above. Hands held on and in a moment, he was out again, feeling some stinging at his throat.

The dreams, or nightmares, whatever they were, jarred him. He felt his body numb and tense from being moved and bruised. It was as though he could hear people talking and speaking, but his eyes were glued shut and the occasional hand would prod his face and Seth heard his own voice groan. His insides crawled sluggishly and he could hear Cesaro and Dean, his friends, Finn and everyone he knew, all screaming and crying in a circle of trees engulfed in flames. 

When he woke, Seth pulled a hand to his mouth, feeling himself gag around nothing. His wrists jerked and he cried, suddenly finding his range of motion limited. On his eyes, he could feel fabric, some material blindfolding him. 

"Cesaro!" Seth tried to scream, choking. A hand flew to his mouth and Seth flattened against whatever he was resting upon, wiggling, trying to break free. 

"STOP!" a woman's voice urged, harsh and raspy. Seth squirmed, tossing his head which was still throbbing hard. As his other senses began to focus around his absence of sight, Seth panted, smelling something faintly… awful…

"STOP IT! CALM DOWN!" 

"N-no!" Seth said stupidly, wrinkling his nose and smacking his head against a hard surface, seeing stars. He tried desperately to move his arms again, hands dancing around his middle. He was still full and round, the babies were moving around. Whatever had happened, they seemed alright. The smell intensified. 

"You're safe, it's FINE," the voice said again and Seth breathed sharply, sure he was having a panic attack. "You're alright, you just can't run any more." 

Seth exhaled hard and suddenly it made sense. The blindfold on his face was ripped off and a group of women were standing in front of him, all wearing herb masks, all looking tired and disheveled. Seth's eyes squinted against the harsh light and many of the women looked troubled, obviously compelled to pity him. Straining to focus clearly, Seth's heart raced as he recognized the blonde woman and the smell seemed to triple in intensity, strong and putrid.

" _ Breathe _ ," Charlotte said. Tears flowed from Seth's eyes and he choked, shaking his head. A few of the women stepped back, averting their eyes. Clearly the smell was affecting them. "You need to breathe and you need to eat and drink. You're going to do what we tell you."

"I can't…" Seth struggled, the tears in his eyes obscuring his vision. He had no memory of finding himself there, had no idea where he was or what was happening. All he'd known was that he'd been at the orchard and now he was tied and bound, lying on his side. 

Other than his snivelling whimpers, no sound was heard. The sky was dull blue above them and it seemed they were alone. Charlotte's eyes bore no pity and Seth began to shake, overcome with the horror he was expecting to follow. 

He'd been caught. He was going back to the palace. The King would kill him. The babies were either to be destroyed or become orphans. 

"P-please," Seth coughed, shutting his eyes and trembling against his bindings. "I don't want to go b-back, I don't want t-to… I j-just wanted to be with…" Seth paused. Just thinking of Cesaro hurt. 

"They're all dead," Charlotte said flatly, holding her hand up to her face to block out the smell. "All of your friends died in the fire. Whatever was there for you is gone." Seth's eyes widened, huge and devastated, and from behind her, one of the women gagged.

"You need to breathe," she continued, looking like she was going to puke herself. Seth suddenly realized he was putting off the scent, the horrible smell of an omega distress signal. His body was assuming he was in physical danger and was trying to deter interference. 

"N-not true," Seth said, looking to Charlotte and shaking his head. His brown eyes were huge and disbelieving. "There's no way-"

"They're dead, I watched it," Charlotte said, "But the King will see you alive. He's been very worried about you, Seth. They all think you were kidnapped and they'll be very pleased to see you alive and well," Charlotte continued, quicker, but Seth was still too distraught to hear any of it.  _ Cesaro was gone. Dean was gone.  _

"Everything will be alright if you do what I say, okay?" Charlotte said, spitting in the grass with a disgusted look on her face. "You need to  _ calm down _ and listen to me. If you keep making this scent, it will hurt you. You're making us all sick."

"Don't…" Seth shook, feeling faint. "I can't-"

"Lady Charlotte, you're making it  _ worse _ -" One of the women coughed, a hand to her nose. Seth gasped, breath coming ragged in his throat. He was sweating hard and panic was washing over him in waves. _ He'd lost, he was done for. It was all over.  _

"Hey, it's okay really, it'll be all better now," one of the women said, coming over to Seth with her elbow over her nose. "We'll keep you safe- nothing bad is going to happen…"

* * *

Cesaro was the last to come back to the Orchard, but dogs were still barking and wandering around the open area. The moon was huge and bright, even though he was sure it was still the wee hours of the morning. His legs ached and his head throbbed. He needed water.

They had searched all night, and Dean, Xavier, Kofi and Big E were all sitting around a fire, silent and glum. Whatever lingering omega smell there had been in the air was slowly lifting, pushed out by the dust and ash that was moving through the air. Seth was gone, and rage had carried Cesaro for several miles, but to no avail.

He stared at the fire for a moment and the group looked up, perhaps wondering if he might have found a clue to explain the disappearance. Nobody could say exactly when Seth had been taken, except that the last time they had seen him had been by the lake. None of the workers were suspect, but only Dean and Cesaro knew why Seth specifically had been targeted. 

Wordlessly, Cesaro walked to the stable where their horses were being kept. He didn't even have a saddle, but he'd steal one at this point, he didn't care. 

"A-are you okay Claudio?" Xavier asked, rising to follow Cesaro to the stables. "We… we were talking about leaving in the morning… we want to help…"

"I am leaving now," Cesaro said flatly, wiping his nose and opening the latch on the stable door. The horse sitting in the hay stood up, ears perked and alert.

"But… we should probably all rest-" Xavier said quietly, standing by the door. "Don't you think so? Me and Kofi were thinking that Tyler had to have left on a cart or something… he can't really walk through the woods. If he was kidnapped, they were probably heading west-"

"I do not want company," Cesaro said, not bothering to look at Xavier. "This is my own business. This has always been my business."

"Yeah… I know…" Xavier sighed. Cesaro was too busy fixing a halter on the horse to see how pained and dejected he was. "Tyler's your omega…"

"His name isn't Tyler, and I'm not Claudio," Cesaro said, pushing past him. "Do not talk to me anymore."

There wasn't any positive energy, no feel-good underlying current of omega scent buttering him up anymore. Cesaro felt cold and dead inside, pushing down his fear and terror and relishing the rage of a man provoked. Seth was his life, his world. The names for his children had been on the tip of his tongue for weeks, rolling back and forth, waiting to be received. He was going to ride out and find him, do anything it took to get him back. If Seth was dead…

Cesaro's body went numb at the thought and he grimaced, unable to think of the horror of finding his lover's body. It was unimaginable. He had to make sure Seth was okay.

"Cesaro."

Cesaro turned and Dean was standing their, looking similarly grim and dark. In his hands, he was holding a saddle with a blanket, the reins draped over the horn. 

"I can go too, if you want," Dean offered, barely a whisper, helping the man pull the saddle over the side of the horse and shoving the girth under the steed's belly. "I made up bags, food and supplies and shit. Figure I could help… if anything happens…"

Cesaro grit his teeth, holding onto the bit of the reigns in his thumb and forefinger. 

"I will go," Cesaro said quietly, adjusting the reigns carefully. "You have helped enough. Now you can go and do whatever you want."

"Seth would be fucking _ pissed _ ," Dean said with a laugh, a smirk flashing across his face before it was gone again. "If… if that's what you want, that's cool…"

"Thank you Dean," Cesaro said, meeting the man's eyes. "I will try to bring him back here, if it is convenient. You have been very helpful." 

"No sweat," Dean said, his voice slightly choked. "Lemme uh, lemme get you a bag." 

Cesaro mounted the horse and blinked hard, looking around in the darkness. Really, he ought to wait until morning, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. The moon was bright enough to allow for a clear path, but he was counting on Seth being able to articulate his position. Dean loaded a large pack on the top of the horse's back, and Cesaro assisted, leaning over and making sure it was well attached. 

"Good luck man," Dean mumbled. "Bring him back,"

"Thank you Dean," Cesaro repeated, sure he hadn't said it enough times. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 more chapters! Thanks for commenting <3


	9. Through Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time is running out...

Seth was sure that Cesaro, Dean and all of his other friends had  _ not _ died in a fire.

For one, he had no memory of such an occurrence. It took him some time to calm down and gather his thoughts, but the more he thought about being snatched from the orchard, the more unlikely it seemed that Bayley's property had been razed. Seth’s appalling scent diminished as he remembered the lake kept the area from being properly burned. If the whole orchard had been reduced to an ashy heap, Seth was sure he would have been a lot more affected from the smoke and flames. 

The lie, or half truth, or whatever it was, kept the women doting on him as much as Lady Charlotte could stand. Seth was hardly prepared or willing to be bound and blindfolded in the back of a very bumpy cart, and before the first day was out, he'd outright demanded the freedom of his hands so he could at least brace himself from the motion of it all. 

"Where the  _ hell  _ am I going to go?" Seth asked, frustrated and breathless as the cart moved over a rather large pothole. His lungs, already compressed as they were, felt rocked inside his ribcage, winding him with each bump. The babies were squirming as well, not used to such treatment. 

"Can't we untie him already?" the darker skinned woman asked in a high squeal. "We outnumber him, even with all his babies." 

Seth knew Lady Charlotte wasn't a woman to be crossed. But as soon as he got his eyesight back, it was clear that she was hardly the steady picture of dignity that she'd been when Seth had last seen her on the court. Both herself and her riders looked exceptionally ragged and tired, coughing intermittently, likely from breathing in the dust of the wildfires that Seth had been sheltered from by the lake. However, while Charlotte looked angry and skeletal, the other women seemed much more inclined to believe Seth was just some naive omega that had been led astray. 

"You  _ poor  _ thing," the large woman said, patting his back as he puked in the late morning, leaning over the cart and retching after Charlotte had ignored his pleas to stop. 

"I can't do all this shaking..." Seth mumbled, wiping his nose and whining as he tried to find a more comfortable position. "I don't think I'm going to make it…"

"You really shouldn't talk like that, of course you will," she said, patting his leg and pulling up her cushion to give Seth a little more comfort. "Soon enough you'll be right back at the palace, safe and pampered. You can forget all this ever happened."

Seth fell into a cold sweat every time he thought about finding himself under King Helmsley's nose again. The women had no idea what he'd gone through and Seth wondered if telling them might make them less inclined to take him back, but he didn't want to expect such treatment. The babies couldn't keep still and the spasms of pain he'd felt the last time he'd been traveling had started to come back. 

On the third day, Seth began to cry, insisting they stop and give him a moment as his stomach was cramping hard. Lady Charlotte went white and the other women turned, tearing off their herb masks and hastening to offer him water. Breathing hard with tears leaking into his beard, Seth was almost positive that the babies were done for, before he smelled something familiar on the air. 

Understated, but familiar, the pain eased a little and Seth blinked, looking around for the source of the scent. He was  _ sure _ he smelled Cesaro, but he had no idea how it was possible.

"Breathe, Seth," the woman named Dana said, holding his shoulder. "We're almost to a town, but you need to hold on."

The fidgety woman, Alicia, gave Seth a strange look and she turned over her shoulder. Seth wondered if she could smell the scent too, and his joy turned to horror as she walked over to Charlotte and mumbled something in her ear. Nobody moved to act, but Seth knew Charlotte was scanning the dead tree line more obviously as they continued, putting a hand to her weapon. 

Seth barely slept at night, even piled on top of all the pillows and dressings he was offered. Alexa and Nia each offered him food and drink, asking him lots of questions despite Charlotte's obvious agitation.

"We'll be to the next town soon and we'll get you some more lotion and new clothes," Alexa said, looking down at him fondly and obviously restraining herself from running her hands through his hair. "It's gotta be hard, but you'll be okay. At least it's not so hot anymore…"

Seth didn't say anything, listless and exhausted. He'd cried all the tears he had and wanted nothing more than to be with Cesaro. Alexa kept talking, lower so that she wouldn't be heard.

"Lady Charlotte just thinks the king will put her back in high favor now that she's found you, that's why she's so frustrated. We all want to go home… you  _ could  _ have made it a little easier on us," she laughed lightly, but Seth stayed mute. 

"We're okay now, this isn't so bad," Nia said, putting a hand on Seth's shoulder, rubbing in a comforting way. "We'll get there when we get there. I've only gotten to see the courtier's a few times, so it's always nice to see an omega, even if it's not the  _ best _ of circumstances. Lady Charlotte just needs to relax a little..."

"You guys done sniffin' him?" Alicia came over, dramatically flopping down right next to Seth. Angry and jostled, Seth grumbled and pulled the blankets over himself, trying to hide. Nothing was comfortable, and he just wanted to be left alone. 

"Alicia, he's sick, you need to chill!" Alexa said, pushing the woman off the pile of pillows angrily. "If something happens to him-"

Seth couldn't see anything, blanketed though he was, but in an instant, the pillows were shifted and all three women were on their feet, out of the pile of pillows. Sensing the sudden change in energy, Seth poked his head out to see that Lady Charlotte was standing over them wearing a herb mask. She looked furious. 

"Go- get out of here-" she hissed, grabbing Alicia by the wrist and pointing to her riders venomously. "Stop touching him-  _ nobody _ touch him-"

"Charlotte-"

"ENOUGH!" she screamed, looking to Dana, who was standing petrified. Seth's spine chilled as Charlotte's voice echoed across the barren, ashy hill. "Why aren't any of you wearing your masks!? I told you! I'm the captain and I  _ told _ you!"

The women shrunk, looking mutinously angry. It was as though the omega scent had a lingering, twisted effect on the alphas, all turning them to sharks smelling blood. Dana was the only one that looked remotely calm, determined in the face of fear.

"I... was just going to check his temperature..." she said, holding her hands up and looking to Charlotte seriously. "Honest-"

"He's  _ fine _ ," Charlotte snapped. "Put on your herb masks. Unless it's an emergency,  _ nobody _ touches him until morning, this stink-" she gestured to Seth's general direction, "it's going to mess with your head! Don't just let it in!" 

"Yeah, it'll turn you  _ crazy _ !" Alicia called tauntingly as she walked back to the general direction of where she'd rolled out her blankets. Seth just sat, tensing as he felt another cramp wash over him, pulling a stitch in his side. Charlotte's voice rang in his head and his temples ached no matter how much water he drank. 

On the whole, Seth felt like his body was breaking down. His ankles were swollen hard, his hips felt as though they were being crushed under the weight of so many offspring, his skin pulled and stretched and itched, flaking and dry. All the weeks of resting in the blessed lake were the only thing keeping him together, and now he was falling apart. 

At night, coyotes walked through their camp, interested in Seth's scent. Alicia shrieked, but Alexa made quick work of one of the dogs, providing a quick meal after an hour or so of preparation. Loading up the cart to travel after Seth barely held down the meal, the faint scent of Cesaro caught the air again. Unable to disguise his excitement, Seth whipped his head around, searching desperately. 

He was alive, Seth  _ knew _ it. He was no longer imagining such a thing, though the pregnancy had affected his ability to smell. Somewhere, his lover was out there, searching for him. 

Alicia reacted immediately and Charlotte cursed, looking at Seth as though it was his fault. 

"Rollins," she snapped, pulling her horse to the side and glaring at Seth intently. "Are we being followed?"

Seth blinked, trying to maintain his innocence. He had no idea honestly, and he wasn't really sure what he was supposed to know. Cesaro could be planning some sort of trap, but Seth knew he shouldn't be hopeful enough to expect it. 

"You tell  _ me _ ," he said softly, holding his belly where a pair of feet were pattering around. "How would I know?"

Charlotte drew out a knife and Seth's body went numb. But, instead of threatening him, she handed it off to Alicia. _ "I'll pay you more," _ was all she said, and with an uptick of her eyebrows, Alicia kicked her horse into high gear, pounding the path they'd just covered. 

Seth swallowed, hoping Cesaro was armed, if he was anywhere nearby. 

* * *

Dean had left the orchard around noon the morning after their futile search, gathering his things and a rudimentary map he'd copied from Cesaro's. Kofi and Big E were arguing with Xavier in regards to trying to find Seth, but Dean didn't listen in, more intent on lifting a bottle of applejack and getting on the road.

"Jon, or… Dean, whatever your name is!" Xavier said, rushing to Dean's brown horse and nearly spooking it. Dean grunted, turning around. "I'll go with you! We can find Tyler together!"

"I'm not looking for him," Dean said, shaking his head a little. Seth's scent was nearly out of his nose and a twinge had grown between his eyes, stinging slightly. His body really wanted him to find Seth and keep up that heady omega buzz, but he knew it was no use. 

"But… where are you going?" Xavier asked, pushing himself in front of the horse, positively manic. "You don't have to go-"

"I'll do what I want, now get out of my way," Dean snorted, kicking his horse and steering clear of the man. He left at a trot, slinking through the gate without looking back.

There was a long, lonely trip ahead of him, but for the most part, Dean was enjoying the solitude. It was nice, riding all day and letting his horse carry him down the path, sighing into the silence. After so much time being holed up and obligated to an omega, he missed being by himself. The absence of the scent was a little annoying, but with each day, Dean's mind felt unburdened, rising into clarity. 

He ate sparingly, but took time to enjoy the views when he saw something he liked. Often, Dean's mind wandered to Renee and he thought about what he might say to her when they were reunited. It was difficult to explain that he'd managed to escape prison because of some lovesick, pregnant omega, but Dean hoped she would understand. 

At night though, just before rest, Dean thought of Seth and Cesaro constantly. Although Dean had never gotten particularly close to the alpha, he could only imagine how scared and alone Seth was, probably on his way to a lot of trouble and misery. He tried not to let his mind consider Seth's condition, full to bursting as he was, being dragged by the hair along the road without a friend in the world. It had been scary enough, seeing the man so compromised and fatigued when they'd first arrived at the orchard, and now it was very possible that the babies could have miscarried. 

Dean rubbed his eyes, haunted by visions of the omega, crying and yelping in pain, then, ultimately, passing away without any reprieve. Of course, there was the possibility that Cesaro  _ had _ managed to find him, but that slim hope didn't stop his visions of Seth's pain from turning into nightmares. Dean woke with a start each time, sure that he'd smelled Seth's scent in the night. 

By the morning of the third day, Dean was grumbling and pacing, angry with himself and unable to eat. How could he go back to Renee and explain what had happened? He had abandoned Seth right when he'd needed him most. What kind of alpha did that make him?

Kicking rocks didn't help much, but Dean didn't have a clue who could have taken Seth or where they might have gone. Examining his map, he'd probably have just another day or so to get to Rappleforth, assuming the path was clear. Seth could have been taken in any direction. 

_ Except he was wanted by the empire _ , Dean remembered, biting his lip. _ If it was the empire, they'd take him back to the palace...  _

Dean kicked another rock, but stopped, sheepish as he heard another cart approaching and men's voices faltering. Dean stared down the small hill, his heart sinking as he recognized the group.

"Dean?"

Dean stared, looking to Kofi, Big E and Xavier, all ecstatic to see him, hauling their gear in their rickshaw cart.

"Do you… would you want to travel together?" Xavier asked, looking hopeful. "We were heading to the refugee road… figure it might not be too late to get a nice pay cut up north for the season."

"You're not looking for Seth?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrow. "Sorry,  _ Tyler _ ." 

"Oh… well." Xavier looked cowed by his friends, Big E was crossing his arms. "No… no we're not…" 

"I ain' going up The Gauntlet, but I'll… ride along…" Dean muttered, walking down the most gradual slope and leading his horse on. "Safer and all…"

Dean was sure he could have denied Xavier all the same, but some part of him did miss Kofi and Big E's jokes. His anger had cooled, and although it wasn't the same without Seth's smell wafting over them, Dean just kept quiet and tried to enjoy himself. He tried to think about Renee, but Seth's sweet smile kept popping in. 

It was clear now that he undeniably missed the omega, even beyond his scent. His brown hair and eyes, his long lashes and slightly gapped-tooth grin. Dean would do anything now, to see that Seth was safe and all his children were delivered safely. When they reached the refugee road, he could make a choice to go further north or try to follow the predicted path of Seth's captors. While Dean didn't want to risk his own freedom by heading back to the palace, he was inexorably drawn to finding the omega. 

Around noon, Dean perked his head up, sniffing the air coming down the road and agitating his bangs. He didn't think he was imagining it. Seth's scent was unmistakably present, and all of the men stopped, staring and breathing on the side of the path. Xavier circled, excitable as a child. 

"Where's it coming from?" he asked, jerking his neck and sniffing audibly. None of the men could really find the source, taking steps into the woods, then frowning as the smell diminished. Dean dismounted his horse, closing his eyes and trying to follow his nose. 

All four men whipped their heads around as they saw a small, dark skinned woman crashing through the trees on horseback. Dean's heart jumped and he quickly grabbed his horse's reins, clearing a path for the rider to come barrelling through the underbrush. Her clothes were streaked with blood and she was laughing madly as she kicked the horse hard. It reared, crying out and sprinting down the path ahead, while the dust kicked up around them. 

"The hell she doin'?" Kofi said, wide eyed and shaken. "She was covered in blood!"

Dean immediately mounted his horse again, terrified to think that the woman had hurt Seth. The omega was close by, Dean was sure, perhaps it had been some time ago, but the blood on her clothes looked very fresh. If Seth had been injured, Dean was sure he'd probably have smelled it, but he was desperate for  _ something _ . His horse faltered a little, struggling to cover the overgrown path into the woods. Xavier yelled and tried to follow. 

"Hey Dean! Slow down!" Xavier called. "Hey!"

Dean didn't listen, ducking as a low hanging branch threatened to knock his head off his neck. The scent had started to fade, but Dean could see birds flying from the dried up trees, fleeing the scene in the valley below. 

Down, sprawled in the dirt, he was winded by the sight of not Seth, but _Cesaro_ , slashed across his chest and lying face up at the base of a tree. The underbrush and the branches were on fire, crackling loud and splintering from the lack of moisture. 

* * *

Cesaro had never been cut in a fight before, so feeling a knife across his body had been a shock. He'd been running on adrenaline, and he'd gotten a few licks in on the woman, but she had been so  _ quick _ .

A few times, he'd tried to get up, but his shoulder had twinged hard and his pec seized. It wasn't a small cut and the sight of his own blood was making him dizzy. Cesaro swallowed, willing himself not to pass out, suddenly aware of the woman's laughter and the sound of fire catching dry leaves. 

_ No, _ Cesaro thought, gritting his teeth and trying to sit up again. _ Not like this... _

Before he could become properly motivated by the prospect of being burned to death, Dean's hands found him, hoisting him up by his shredded shirt. 

"Talk to me-" Dean said gruffly, staring hard, eyes full of desperation and worry. "Cesaro-"

"How did you-" Cesaro blinked, disbelieving. "Where did you come from?"

"We gotta go," Dean said urgently pulling him up as the ground began to spark around them. "XAVIER! KOFI!" 

There was no way to lift the cart through the woods but Cesaro grimaced, clutching his shoulder as he sat on the back of Dean's horse, jostled along. The small blaze was beginning to cover the ground all around the small dirt valley, burning up the slim remains of the forest that was left untouched. All around them, the air became hot, the sky turned dark and Dean's horse looked fit to buck them off and flee, jumping and knickering fearfully. 

"Claudio?" Xavier said, disbelieving as Dean rounded back onto the road, wiping sweat off his forehead. 

"That chick messed him up, but he's okay I think," Dean said, hopping down and urgently shoving the men's bags around Big E's cart. "She was riding toward Rappleforth, I don't know if we can catch her. Seth wasn't anywhere around." 

"She was… an assassin I think," Cesaro said weakly, exhaling sharply as Dean tried to pull him down from the horse, easing him into the cart. "She… she was probably with the people who took Seth… I've been following them."

"We smelled him," Dean said seriously, the tingling of adrenaline and excitement coursing through his body. "I knew it, there's no way he couldn't have stunk up the place."

"We gotta go," Cesaro muttered, pointing up the road. "The fire… it'll spread…"

"You gunna be okay man?" Big E asked, his lips pursing as Cesaro was placed on top of his bag. His wound was shining bright with blood and was probably staining his belongings. "How many people you think stole him?"

"I don't know," Cesaro rasped, kneading his shoulder. "I can't smell well… I can barely smell Seth…"

Dean attached the cart to his horse as best as they could with their humble get up. So long as the road didn't turn too sharply, the horse could trot along, pulling the cart with the four men crammed inside while Dean sat a top the horse. Cesaro's ride had apparently fled with most of his belongings, but luckily he still had his money and his map.

"The book is gone," Cesaro said ruefully, heaving huge breaths and staring at his feet. "My extra water… everything." 

"We'll figure it out, it's okay," Xavier said, trying to comfort the man as best as he could. "We even have some first aid stuff."

"He's sittin' on it," E mumbled, pointing to the bag under Cesaro. 

"We have enough water tho', we're nearly to Rappleforth anyway," Kofi said. "There it is again- you smell that?"

Dean was standing on his horse and whipping the reigns. Cesaro craned his neck, ignoring the twinge of pain it caused him. All he could smell was smoke. 

"I smell it," Xavier said, looking up expectantly. "Dean-"

"You guys armed?" Dean yelled back, looking to the men seriously. "We don't know what we're getting into here-"

A turn in the road and Cesaro felt himself tearing up. Seth's scent was wafting thickly over the road, like a beacon calling them in. Down the path, in a dry ravine, a group of people were gathered with a few horses. He could make out their movements and low voices, but nothing called him closer than a soft yelp that was undeniably Seth. His whole body went numb with relief, and then, anger. If anyone had hurt him-

"Slow it down," Kofi instructed loudly, crouching as if to spring from the cart. Xavier's hands were trembling around his arrows, but Cesaro took a deep breath as he eased himself up, immune to his pain. 

He  _ needed  _ to see him, he needed to see Seth _. _

There was a whole group of women with their swords drawn, at the ready. Their horses had been hitched to a downed tree and on the ground, two were crouched down with a third person on their back. 

"SETH!" Cesaro bellowed angrily, springing up. Immediately a sword was in his face. 

"STAND DOWN!" a blond woman screeched, stepping toward Cesao and ushering him back. "MOVE!"

"HE'S MY  _ MATE _ !" Cesaro screamed back, all pretense of mystery vanishing as Dean pulled him back from the tip of the sword. The woman's eyes pinched with confusion before she laughed, looking back to Seth.

"Cesaro-" Seth cried, reaching pathetically from where he lay, clutching his belly. "Please-"

"Lady Charlotte, what's he saying?" one woman said, confused. The blonde woman stepped forward again, not hearing her comrade's words.

"STAND DOWN!" she repeated. "Keep your distance!"

Cesaro paced, ripping himself out of Dean's grip and trying to get a better view of Seth. The omega didn't look physically restrained, but he looked distressed and pained. Less than five days had passed and he looked impossibly larger and uncomfortable. His hand kept a firm hold on his upper stomach and Seth kept tossing back his head, seething.

The darker woman that had cut him was among the women. She looked livid, obviously upset that she had failed in her assault. The silver haired woman at the blond's side still looked confused, her gaze flickering between the men and the omega. 

"You need to leave," she said angrily, her hands trembling on her sword. "He can't move, you can't take him."   

"Is he hurt? What's wrong-" Xavier asked, prancing around similarly to Cesaro, trying to see. "What's wrong with the babies?"   


"STEP BACK!" the woman yelled again, swinging her sword wildly. Kofi parried her blow and for a moment the two were locked together. 

Cesaro felt like he was in a dream, numb to anything that wasn't Seth. He could hear voices, could see Big E and Dean racing forward in his periphery, but every muscle in his body was pulling him to the side of his lover. Seth looked pained, exhausted, and despairing, holding the hands of one of the other alpha women on the ground. His scent was as thick and heavy as it usually was, but there was something changing about it. It was earthy, almost fungal, like lakewater or wet earth. If Seth had smelled like flowers and sex and warmth before, the scent was becoming something much more complicated. 

"We can help!" Xavier yelled, stepping back as the manic woman made a jab to try to stab him "He needs help!"

"Lady Charlotte-"

"WHAT?"

Cesaro blinked and the silver haired woman was pointing over their shoulders. Smoke was curling, dangerously close. 

_ Right, the fire. _

"You weren't supposed to get up!" the small, scrappy woman said, pointing angrily at Cesaro. The leader, Lady Charlotte, looked furious. "There's too much ash in the air! How'm I supposed to smell all you people?"

Rather unexpectedly, Charlotte backhanded the woman, sending her down to the ground in an instant. The silver haired one got between them, positively terrified. Cesaro began inching closer to Seth. Every labored breath he heard from the ground felt like it was digging into his wound. 

"We need help-" the woman said. "These people- they know-"

"THEY AREN'T TOUCHING HIM!" Charlotte screamed, her eyes wild and insane. She charged Cesaro and he ducked, moving away from her blade in time to elbow her in the back of the head with his good arm. Everyone watched as she scrambled, hands reaching for her skull and screeching. Dean stole her sword.

"Seth, Seth… Schatzchen…" Cesaro mumbled, whole body tingling as he fell to his knees. He couldn't very well hold the omega with his bad arm, but he put his head to his neck, desperate. The women didn't back off, but made room, staring as he tried his best to comfort his lover. 

"NIA- ALEXA!" Charlotte yelled, but Kofi and Big E pulled her back. None of the women looked impressed. 

"Look, we gotta move, yeah?" Dean said to the women, poking his head back at the fire. "Otherwise we're fucked. You guys were heading for Rappleforth, right?"

"The… the next…. Yes…" the shorter blonde said, looking to Dean with a wrinkled nose. "Who are you guys?"

"We can explain on the way," Kofi said, looking to Charlotte. "You gunna mess this up?"

"You're not taking him." She shook her head hard, trying to swing her arms from the men's grip. "He means too much-"

"We'll all go together, one big fuckin' family," Dean said, coming to Seth's side and biting his lip at the sight of him. "Hey, you."

"Dean… Cesaro…" Seth cried, his breathing shallow and ragged. "Something's wrong…"

"Are you bleeding?" Xavier asked over their shoulders. The two women at his side shook their heads.

"Explain on the way," Dean said, looping his arm under Seth's and making to pull him up. "It's like ten more miles, right?" 

Seth and Cesaro were assisted to sit in the cart together, lifted along quickly by Nia, Alexa, and Big E. Dean got back on his horse, looking desperately behind him as Seth cried. Xavier did his best to bandage the wound on Cesaro's shoulder, but was incredibly distracted the whole time. 

"How is your vision Tyler?" Xavier asked, hands shaking hard as Seth panted, screwing up his face and holding his stomach hard. "Where is the pain? Do you feel it on your right or your left side?"

"It all hurts," Seth sighed, rubbing his hands across his face to wipe up the tears. Pale and pained as he was, Cesaro held out his own hands, finding Seth's and holding them fast.

"I'm here, I'm with you Schatzchen," he breathed, rubbing Seth's palms. "We'll go to the next town, we'll get you whatever you need. They're not taking you anywhere-"

"ENOUGH!" Charlotte screamed, apparently breaking past her friends, who had been trying to convince her of their plan. "I'M THE CAPTAIN! I'M CHARLOTTE FLAIR! WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?"   


With a quick jerk, the smaller woman who had attacked Cesaro pricked something against Charlotte's neck and she screamed, gesturing wildly for whatever had stabbed her. In less than ten seconds, she was on the ground, moaning, limp and unconscious. Nia grabbed her with ease and sat her in the saddle of her own horse. 

"We need to go,  _ now _ . Yeah?" Dean yelled impatiently, gritting his teeth as a tree down the road caught ablaze in less than a minute, crackling hard and crashing across the path they'd just road down. Cesaro continued to squeeze Seth's hand, focusing his attention, trying to keep him present. 

"They aren't taking you," Cesaro repeated, completely unsure of what he was saying, but positive he would fight to the death to keep Seth safe. "We're here now."

Seth panted again and strained, grabbing Cesaro's wrists as Xavier rubbed Seth's neck. They were all crying, terrified they were going to lose their friend, and shaking with the adrenaline of hearing the forest around them creaking from the heat and flames. The cart began to move and Dean wasted no time kicking his horse to run hard. Kofi and Big E sat on the back, keeping a hand on their bags and Seth. They bumped along awfully, but nobody could deny that they had to go fast.

Cesaro looked down as he felt his own bottom get wet. Seth's slim covering had stained dark and for a horrified moment, Cesaro thought it was blood. Without any hesitation, Xavier sunk his hand down, investigating carefully.

"Unless you just peed, your water broke," he said, grimacing as he wiped his hand on his robe. Big E groaned, watching his bag become soaked. 

"What!" Xavier said, slapping his friend. "It's basically the biggest blessing you could get!"

"Breathe Seth," Cesaro said, trying to keep his voice calm and nodding carefully. Seth sniffled, terrified and nodding back. He shuddered around a breath, exhaling hard. "We will make it in time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little late... anyone ever have an issue where you edit something in docs and it takes days to show up? Very weird. 
> 
> Next chapter is the last one!


	10. Tell me who you are when the rain comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The birth, the confrontation, and loss. 
> 
> ***Graphic birth scene plus traumatic events, proceed carefully!

The ride through the smoking woods was just about the most stressful hour of Cesaro's life, worse than trying to break Seth out of the palace and more terrifying than when he'd been kidnapped. 

The heat flaring up on all sides was making Big E sweat a torrent over them as he sat at the top of the cart, and Cesaro's shoulder stung with every bump in the road. Dean continued to look back at the blaze raging behind them, then to the rickshaw, coughing and wiping his nose. The women were agitated, but mostly concerned for Seth, shouting back down the line of horses for updates. 

Poor Seth was doing as best as he could manage, sweaty, exhausted and well into the throes of labor. Xavier pet his head and offered him water constantly, but the jostling of the cart was particularly traumatizing. On one hard bump, Seth screamed, crying and cursing as he'd just felt another tugging contraction. Dean whipped his head back and Kofi muttered something quietly, but Cesaro knew he needed to take charge as best as he could.

"My back-" Seth cried, his face scrunched in pain, seething. "Hurts… so bad…"

"We'll be there soon I think," Xavier said quickly, biting his lip. 

Cesaro hummed, leaning as far forward as he could, bending through the discomfort. Seth's scent was beginning to putrefy out of fear and stress, and there really wasn't anything they could do to fix it until they were out of harm's way. However, Cesaro did remember something from the omega book about the fear response, he'd specifically earmarked the page. 

Closing his eyes and trying to take a deep breath despite the smoking air, Cesaro raised the hand of his good arm to Seth's cheek. He pushed his hair back and rubbed his wrist down Seth's face slightly, feeling the streaks of dirt and tears, trying to make his own scent known. 

Though his own poor sense of smell could never distinguish it, Cesaro's alpha scent was rather strong. It was nothing like Seth's, but it usually established him as firm and healthy when he needed it. He wasn't sure how helpful it would be to Seth now, but he'd read in the omega book that a mate's scent usually assisted with labor as a sort of numbing agent. If the alpha was calm and supportive, it usually reacted on the omega's body. The scent was supposed to ease some of the stress and allow the omega to fall into step with what their labor required. 

Cesaro wasn't sure how he'd imagined the birth of his children, but the time at the orchard had given him a few ideas. Seth had mentioned that he might like to go down by the blessed lake and swim for some time before things got particularly painful. Then, he'd probably do some of the stretches that Xavier had shown him. They were all trying  _ not _ to think about the complications of three babies, or any possibility that things could go awry. Nobody knew how to react if it all went wrong. 

Slowly, Seth's ragged breathing began to soften a little as the alpha scent intensified. Cesaro gave a grim smile, holding back his own tears at the thought of holding Seth in his arms and catching the first baby between his lover's legs. So long as they could find safe ground, there was hope. 

"You do what you need to do Schatzchen, do not worry," Cesaro said calmly, ignoring the pain of the moving cart shuffling his wound. "We will keep you safe."

"Yeah," Xavier said, sensing the change of energy that was taking place in the air. "Don't worry Tyler- we'll find a place in the town where you can have the babies. It's all gonna be okay."

Seth didn't say anything, but he didn't really need to either. It was hard to tell from the dancing light of the fire behind them, but Cesaro thought Seth looked drained and paler than usual. He had no idea how the omega had been faring since he'd been kidnapped or even how long he'd been suffering from contractions. 

The woman at the front of the line, Dana, whooped and hollered as they broke through the woods and saw the sign for Rappleforth, indicating the town was ahead. It was well into the day, the sky was blue and black from the fire and the sun was disappearing fast to the west. On the horizon, Cesaro thought he could see the town, hopefully not just a delusion of his heat and pain addled mind. 

"We'll need water, lots of running water-" Xavier called to the front, surveying Seth and trying to think. "Clean! Someplace clean and comfortable!"

His thoughts raced anxiously and Cesaro was sure they couldn't really wait to check into any hostels, which probably would direct them to a doctor's office anyway. Seth would need medical assistance, but he was also terrified a doctor might side with the women intending to kidnap him. Really, whatever Seth wanted was what they should do. As they rode out of the blaze of the fire and onto the plain, Seth looked up, eyes wide and searching. 

"We gotta stop-" he said desperately, shaking his head. "I can't lay anymore- my back-"

"There's a farm?" Dean asked loudly, pointing. Cesaro nodded quickly. If an angry farmer really wanted to kick them off the land, Cesaro would fight them one handed, he didn't care anymore. 

Luckily, such a problem didn't arise. A small man with long hair and a beard was walking down the perimeter fence with a bulldog. He stopped as the caravan slowed, trundling along on the dry ground. 

"Sir? We need help-" Xavier announced, springing to the head of the group as soon as they came to a stop. Seth tried to hoist himself up, his feet shaking. "We have an omega, he's well into labor!"

"Oh my. Alright," the man said, looking around to the ring of fierce women and Lady Charlotte, slumped over on her horse. "What all… what do you need? Where did you come from?"

"We came through the woods," Big E said, pointing behind them to the smoldering trees in the distance. 

"I want to  _ walk _ ," Seth breathed to Cesaro, rolling onto his feet and easing himself out of the cart. Cesaro got out as well and Kofi followed behind, waiting and alert should Seth need anyone to lean into. Seth froze, feeling the effects of so much battering by the cart. Cesaro held his hand as gently as he could manage. 

"I'm Daniel," the farmer said carefully, his eyes melting with sympathy as he saw Seth through the crowd of horses. "Jeez, okay, let's… let's get you guys some help…"

None of the women made to argue as Cesaro kept a hand on Seth, guiding him along to the farm house. Dean stood at his other side with Xavier while Big E and Kofi went to inspect their bags. Nia slung Lady Charlotte over her shoulder and Dana looked at the group, bewildered. 

"We… we don't want to hurt him," she explained, trying to take charge in the absence of their captain. "I think we can all agree we want the babies safe." 

"Then stay away from us," Cesaro hissed, displeased that his attention was drawn away from Seth for even a second. The manic woman, Alicia, nearly fell off her horse, cursing as she realized that her ankle was caught in the stirrup. 

"I, uh, my wife and my child are inside," Daniel the farmer explained, looking wide eyed at the whole group. "I'd ask that we don't all run in at once here… why don't-" he pointed to the barn out back. "If you wanted to put your horses in there, I just have a couple sheep. It shouldn't be much trouble."

Seth whined, gritting his teeth as another contraction rocked him and Dean and Cesaro held his hands, straining as Seth's fingernails nearly drew blood. Daniel didn't wait, charging ahead as his bulldog barked rambunctiously. 

"Breathe man," Dean said, patting Seth on the back. "You got this."

Daniel's house was quaint and simple. There wasn't running water inside, but a pump well wasn't very far from the door and Xavier and Dana immediately sprang up to assist in filling buckets. Daniel's wife was a new mother herself, clutching a baby and looking on in sympathy as her husband hastened to show Seth to the tiny guest room with just a threadbare cot and a stool. It echoed strangely loud and spiders were making webs in the little window. 

"I don't really have any towels-" Daniel said, whipping out of the way as Xavier came into the room with two large buckets of water. 

"We need to boil it dude, it needs to be warmer than that," Dean scoffed, testing the water with his fingers and shaking the moisture off. 

"Got it," Xavier said, sloshing water across the floor as he marched back outside. 

Cesaro coughed, kissing Seth's forehead and putting a hand to his belly, trying to assess. They were sort of safe. His scent wasn't vile anymore and his water was broken.  _ What had the book said to do next? _

"Twins?" Daniel's wife asked, handing the baby off to her husband and swooping in. "You look fit to burst honey."

"Triplets," Cesaro said, wiping his nose and introducing himself to the woman. "Seth has been through a lot…" 

"Looks like it, is this your first time Seth?" she asked, squatting down and offering a damp cloth to his hands. "I'm Brie, we just had Birdie here a few months ago."

"Y-yeah," Seth said weakly, allowing his face to be cleaned of the dirt and ash. "I'm… I'm really scared…"

"It's okay, let's just… let's get you more comfortable here…"

Everyone had a role to play, but Cesaro was so grateful that Brie could help take control of the scene, he followed lamely behind his lover, holding his hand and trying his best to follow whatever the woman said regarding Seth's condition. A lot of what she was saying he knew, but his head was swimming too much to have a handle on what was happening. 

Dean sat at the back as a sort of second, directing Xavier and talking with Daniel. Dana hovered by the door, determined to be part of the event, and Dean convinced her to permit the riders’ blankets to be used for the birth. In no time at all, the room had been set up as correctly as possible for Seth and Brie had determined that his contractions were lasting about a minute, coming every five minutes or so. 

"That's good! That's really good," Brie said, laughing a little as Seth exhaled hard, trying to catch his breath as another contraction finished winding him. With a hand on his belly, Cesaro felt his eyes flicker shut at the intensity of the spasm clenching under his palm. 

"I'm hot," Seth panted, catching a drink of water. "I'm starving."

The scent was almost unbearable as Seth was shucked out of his dirty clothes and sat naked for everyone to see. His skin was flecked with ash and soot, and Brie tried her best to wipe him down, shaking her head a little from the dizzying effects of the smell.

"Herb mask?" Dean asked Dana faintly. The woman seemed disinclined to move, entranced by the sight, but after some prodding she supplied Brie with one of her masks. Cesaro felt his whole body going numb and warm. 

"Schatzchen, it's  _ time _ ," he muttered, burying his face in Seth's neck and breathing deeply. His hands found his mate's swollen chest and Cesaro rocked him gently, slipping around a little in the sweat as they sat on the floor in the sea of blankets. Seth's belly cramped again, but the pain seemed less intense as they swayed, trying to get as much skin to skin contact as possible. 

However strange it might have looked, Cesaro didn't care. Seth, as occupied as he was, seemed to have the same thoughts and he nodded, placing Cesaro's hands on his belly to rub. His stomach was huge and his skin looked thin, pulled apart by angry red stretch marks, the swell of his belly resting on his thighs. The babies were early, most definitely. But it was time. 

"I uh… I made sandwiches…" Daniel said at the doorway, his face dopey and slack from Seth's scent that was probably wafting through the whole house. Cesaro blinked, and he could see the rest of their group sitting just outside the door, looking in and watching carefully. 

"Thank you…" Seth said softly, reaching up for the plate. Cesaro just continued rubbing his stomach, watching as Dean and Seth attacked the food. It had been some time since he'd eaten, but he couldn't remember his hunger at the moment. 

"Birdie's camped out," Brie remarked, looking at the baby in her husband's arms. "She'll sleep some, you can go put her down hon."

Daniel muttered something and stumbled away. Cesaro could see through the doorway that everyone had gathered, sitting on the floor, looking hypnotized and semi-alert. He hadn't expected such a viewing gallery, but at the moment at least, it didn't seem to be a problem. 

The labor was, as to be expected, an all night event with more waiting around and half-sleeping whenever it could be managed. Brie looked for candles to keep the room as well lit as possible and the soft glow kept everyone calm and quiet. The forest fire burned in the distance, visible in the window and glowing ominously bright through the darkness. Occasionally there was shuffling from the other room as one of the women went to check on Lady Charlotte, but Cesaro, Dean, Xavier and Brie stayed as close as possible the whole time. 

Seth was managing his best, and Cesaro held him close, encouraging him to eat and sleep whenever he could to keep up his stamina. By the light of the fire, his skin shined bright with sweat and his hair stuck to his skin in lengths around his neck. Even when he wasn't actively struggling through a contraction, his face was set and concentrated, falling into a sort of meditative state that was necessitated by the pain. Brie would check on his progress every now and then, and Cesaro kissed his neck and held his hand, humming with Seth's ragged breathing. 

It was late before he wanted to move around much, shuffling back and forth on his knees and groaning while the rest watched on with silent respect. 

"Pressure-" Seth muttered, shaking his head. "It's so much…"

"Do you want to push?" Brie asked. Xavier was on his feet in an instant, hovering. 

"Y-yeah," Seth panted, crawling to the wall and trying to pull himself up again. Cesaro grabbed his hands and Seth winced, moaning, as he shifted to rest in a low squat. 

"Hold him up." Cesaro motioned to Dean and Xavier, and quickly each man had a hand on the omega's wrists, stabilizing him as Cesaro's heart trembled. He could tell the doorway was crowding with the others, excited to see that something was happening, and his alpha instinct twitched, annoyed. 

"Just like in the book," Xavier mumbled, brushing hair away from Seth's face. "You're going to bear down, but keep the floor of your hips nice and loose, yeah?"

"Hold me up- Hold me up-" Seth said desperately and Cesaro scrambled, laying a steadying hand on his lover's waist as Brie checked his progress again, nodding fast behind her mask. 

"You're doing good, yes," she said excitedly. "Try to bear down and breathe, but keep that pressure on, yes."   


Seth cried out and Cesaro's eyes widened at the little spot of blood that spilled onto the blankets below them, relieved and suddenly awestruck as Seth grunted and yelled. The men began mumbling their praises and Seth's yelling pitched up to match them, his face pinched and red. Cesaro put his hands down lightly between Seth's legs, astonished by how wide he'd pushed his thighs out. In a daze, he felt hair and a head, and suddenly he was plummeting to earth. The scent filling the room wasn't just Seth's anymore. 

Both hands now trembling beneath his lover's legs, Cesaro held out his fingers. He briefly remembered trying to swallow and feeling his throat catch. As Seth pushed, Cesaro watched his face and tears filled his eyes as he realized they'd finally made it to that moment. That the first of their children was there and that despite everything that had been in their way, he had the privilege of being witness to such a wonderful, horrifying thing. 

Blood pittered down onto his hands and then the baby came, face up with Brie shoving endless blankets under Cesaro's hands. Seth panted and choked as the baby came down and Cesaro eagerly began to clean it with the fabric while Brie tried to clear its mouth. 

"A girl!" she proclaimed, looking at the tiny infant with relief. Cesaro sniffed loudly and Dean and Xavier relaxed the vice grip around Seth's arms to ease him back to the floor. 

"Seth, look," Cesaro cried, holding the child aloft as she let out a shriek. Weakly, Seth reached out and Cesaro laid her over his belly, remembering the importance of keeping the two together. His hands had a hard time letting go, just resting on the baby's back as Seth breathed hard, crumpling a little under the exertion of birth. 

"We need to keep her warm, she's tiny!" Brie said, trying to find a blanket they could swaddle her in. "I don't think I have any clothes that would fit her."

"Hand towels?" Dean suggested, in quiet awe over the child. Kofi and Big E were whooping in the hallway. 

"Cesaro-" Seth panted, his bottom lip trembling. Cesaro laughed, winded by the sight. His exhaustion was long forgotten at the sight of his mate, gingerly holding their tiny daughter. 

"Dean junior," Dean said, giggling a little. Seth choked a laugh, trying his best to wipe more of the loose afterbirth from his daughter's face as she wailed. Cesaro was sure he'd never seen a smaller baby, but she looked well enough, active and loud. 

"We'll need more cloth," Brie said to the hallway at large, addressing anyone who might assist as she heaped bloody blankets in the corner. "They need to be clean…"

A string of stumbling people hastened to take the dirty laundry, all in awe of the scene before them. In no time at all, Cesaro was sure Seth would be pushing again, laboring over the other babies, but the end of the first delivery was a good break to rally their energy and keep Seth focused on his task. The fact that he'd done it, that it was actually possible after so many stressful days and traumatic escapes, was a miracle enough. Looking into his new daughter's eyes, Cesaro was amazed and determined to hold her siblings in his arms. 

"I can- I can hold her," Xavier offered, extending a hand to Cesaro as Seth winced, starting to rock and moan through another contraction. For the first time in his life, Cesaro was really torn, not sure where exactly he was supposed to be. The baby was still wiggling in his arms, swaddled in one of Kofi's scarves and freshly cut from her cord. He had to remind himself that with three babies, he realistically couldn't hold all of them and support Seth. 

After careful consideration, Cesaro passed his daughter into Xavier's eager hands, sure that he wouldn't move far from their side. Returning to Seth and holding his hand, Cesaro watched as Brie checked on his progress again. The dull pain in his chest and shoulder was present, but overwhelmed by the energy he was feeling. 

"Can we, can we call her Willow?" Seth asked, his brown eyes very wide and distorted from their usual appearance. 

"Of course," Cesaro said, smoothing his hand. Seth grit his teeth, holding his breath through a hard push while Brie ran her hands down his thighs, imploringly.

"Yes, keep holding it…" she said. "As long as you can…"

They all watched and waited while Seth tried to compose himself for another round, occupying themselves by gathering more blankets and towels. Willow squeaked in Xavier's arms, perhaps impatient with her parents, but gentle hands hurried to placate her as much as possible. Instead of squatting, Seth lay on a slight incline with Dean and Cesaro's knees as an anchor point for his feet to press on. With every hard push, they could watch his toes become a stark white, pressing hard against their limbs. 

"One more big push love," Cesaro encouraged. "You've got it- you've got it-"

"Breathe," Brie coached, her fingers finding another head, pushing Seth's cock aside to grab for their second baby. Cesaro felt a little sick, watching her tug and free a shoulder around rivlets of blood and water. Big E stared, slack jawed, from the doorway. 

"This one's a boy!" Brie exclaimed, turning the limp infant over and wiping him down. Seth panted and immediately grabbed for his son with shaking hands. Willow cried softly and the baby boy jarred a little, shaking his extremities. He was just as tiny and fragile looking as his sister. 

"More towels?" Brie called. Seth sighed hard, unable to properly sit up as his thighs shook hard from such an effort. Cesaro's heart raced as he watched the baby sag into Seth, resting into his chest, dirty and new. 

"Let's get your face clean," Dean mumbled, trying to assist with a towel. Brie watched, frowning slightly as Seth sat, winded and sweaty, eyes lazily watching his newest baby. 

"Okay love?" Cesaro asked, feeling foolish as Brie tried her best to wipe up the trail of blood and Dean tapped at the boy. Every inch of him looked exhausted, too worn out to continue. Though his skin was still rosy and he wasn't bleeding much, Cesaro wondered if he wouldn't just collapse for lack of energy. 

Seth just nodded fast, his chest rising and falling, Brie was attempting to assist Dean with cleaning the baby, but Cesaro's face fell as he saw the look on her face change from a sort of relieved joy to a look of focus. 

"Let's…" she said, her voice wavering as she attempted to turn the baby over on Seth's chest, holding his head. "He's having some trouble-"

Cesaro and Seth stared, suddenly horrified as it became clear that the baby was struggling. His body, already pale and blue, wasn't coming alive with air in the same way Willow's had. Seth panted, fumbling to sit up as Cesaro sank down, heart sinking to a dead halt as Brie turned the baby in her hands, opening his mouth, looking for signs of life. He hadn't cried out or screamed, and suddenly the energy of the room became frantic. 

"He might just need a moment," Brie said loudly, trying to assure them as Seth shook hard, losing all his own coloring as her fingers tapped the baby's face over and over, struggling. 

"G-give him to me-" Cesaro urged, at a loss for anything to do. In an instant, Brie turned the baby to its father and Cesaro felt numb, feeling the cold skin of his son. "C'mon…" Cesaro urged, pressing the infant to his chest for a moment, before realizing that was likely counter-indicated. "C'mon sweet boy-"

"You need to press his chest!" Xavier urged, holding Willow tight. "Hold him in your hands and use your fingers!" 

Xavier passed Willow to Dean and held his hands out again to accept the baby boy. There were tears in his eyes and Cesaro yelled out, unable to control himself. Everyone was crying, Seth was shaking, his mouth open and horrified. Distantly, everyone else was scrambling, but it was a blur.

At a loss, desperate, Cesaro passed the boy to Xavier. He held the baby face up and began to press lightly in the center of his chest, compressing the tiny baby's body just slightly. It was crude, almost violent and Cesaro sat, barely aware of his heart pumping fast enough to make his ribs hurt. It was his worst nightmare, the thing that he'd distinctly tried to keep  _ out _ of his mental space. Sitting there, now, after so many months of hell, he couldn't face Seth and see that dread and horror reflected back at him. 

And then, like a whip cracking in the air, the baby coughed and screamed and everyone yelled back. Xavier held the baby aloft with both hands, howling in triumph and Kofi and E grabbed each other, crying and laughing hysterically. 

"Child!" Cesaro said, sobbing as he grabbed the tiny baby, now crying freely, back from Xavier. . He pressed the baby back against Seth, and apologized endlessly, kissing his lover on his cheek. 

"He's okay... " Seth kept saying, over and over. "Cesaro…"   
  
"He's going to be the _ trouble _ child," Brie sighed, accepting a drink of water from her husband and hugging him quickly. "Goodness…"

"He's okay," Cesaro repeated back to Seth, looking down at their son again to confirm it. His cheeks were turning pink and he was letting out choked cry after cry against Seth's breast. Willow was now asleep in Dean's arms, but even after several minutes, nobody seemed to want to move the baby that had scared them all to death. 

"Just one more," Brie said, grabbing more dirty laundry and wiping Seth down where dried blood had accumulated. "Seth honey, you've done so well…"

Cesaro sighed, watching his lover breathe deeply with a baby on each side of him, tucked to settle on the slowly sinking curve of his belly. The bump had started to sag and Brie was slowly working to massage the still swollen upper-half, contracting dully to finish the labor. It seemed now as though everything was hopelessly damp and dirty, and Dana and Alexa came and went with fresh water, trying to be as helpful as possible as a stirring came from the hallway. The group eventually grew quieter and Cesaro tried to coax Seth to let Dean hold the babies for the last leg of his labor. 

"One more big one," Dean said, rubbing Seth's shoulder. "Then, you gotta feed all these monsters."

"We have a bassinet that Birdie doesn't use anymore, you can borrow it for the time being," Brie said, rubbing her eyes as one of her candles went out, burned down to the wick. Outside, the sun had begun to rise and was peeking over the horizon, a bright and hazy red through the clouds of smoke. Cesaro blinked hard, trying to muster up the energy for their last child. He knew he couldn't sleep even in the near future, sure that the women would make good on whatever plan they had to steal Seth or the babies. He'd stay up for days if he had to with one good arm if it made sure that they were safe. 

The thought wasn't comforting at all, but Cesaro knew he wasn't alone. Dean would help, and Xavier, Kofi and Big E were equally capable of combat and assisting with the babies. The group had rallied around Seth for months and weren't about to stop now. 

"Once we get done here, we can make up the room for you two," Brie continued, looking at the small cot with difficulty. "We'll… we'll figure it out… everyone else will have to stay in the barn."

"I'm gonna sleep the moment this is done," Seth rasped, blinking his eyes open. Cesaro kissed him on the temple, tasting sweat on his lips. 

The last baby seemed to want to wait awhile and Seth decided to stand and walk to the window. With much assistance, he wobbled up and leaned on the wall, looking with hazy eyes to the sun inching higher in the sky. Cesaro rubbed his back and held him close, while Dean and Kofi hovered with the two babies, stirring slightly and whimpering. 

"Did you want to could call this one Dean?" Cesaro asked Seth softly, pointing to their tiny son. Seth breathed, struggling a little through pain. He could only hum, nodding and breathing against his mate, obviously spent. "I love you," Cesaro said, feeling as though he hadn't said it enough that night. "You are the strongest person I have ever met." 

Seth just nodded again, moaning. 

He came to lay on a fresh cloth and Cesaro sat at his side, pulling back his hair and wiping it down with a towel to refresh him a little. Light began to pool through the window and Brie blew out the extra candles that had nearly burned down into pools of wax. Daniel moved around the kitchen with Birdie and there was talk of one of the women leaving to go and get supplies from the Rappleforth market that they might want. Cesaro pointed to his bank notes lazily, sure that now was as good a time as any to finally purchase some things for their children. 

"I'm  _ tired _ ," Seth breathed, his face twitching at the pulling pain in his belly. Cesaro tried to cup the bump and fidgeted, adjusting to the different texture of the skin. 

"One last one," Cesaro sighed, kissing Seth again on the temple and trying to keep him present. "You'll give up the after birth, then I will wipe you clean and you will get to lay down for awhile…"

"I could help with nursing too," Brie added helpfully, patting her own chest and smiling through her own exhaustion. "I'm sure we could convince Birdie to share. I'm sure the babies are getting hungry."

"That would be kind of you," Cesaro said. "Really, we are very thankful for everything, I cannot imagine where we would be without your assistance."

Seth grunted and sighed and began to sink down onto his back again. Trying to pull his legs up with feeble hands, Dana and Kofi came in to assist while the others watched the babies. With a few small pushes, Seth gasped, crying, though he had no more tears. 

"So hard…" he breathed, too weak to really be upset. With his good hand, Cesaro pushed gently on Seth's belly, trying to encourage the mass to shift. 

"Just a little more," Brie said, biting her lip. "C'mon… whatever you got left…"

A few more minutes and Seth began to breathe fast as he had done previously when he was getting close. Cesaro held his hand, allowing him to squeeze, but also watched over his knee while Brie worked her hands around. 

"There's…" she said, pausing and attempting to clean her hands again as fresh blood dribbled down Seth's thighs. "I don't-" 

Seth pushed again and her face grew serious. 

"It's a  _ foot _ ," she said plainly, everyone became quiet and looked to her. Seth glanced at Cesaro fearfully. "It's coming out feet-first."

"Breech," Xavier mumbled, patting Willow's back and staring on as Seth panted and Brie began grabbing around the tiny foot, unsure. 

"I-" Brie said, looking to Cesaro with numb fear. "I don't know- I never... " She swallowed and the room was deathly quiet except for Seth's labored breathing. "I don't know how to really do this part."

"It's- it's okay," Cesaro tried to assure her, voice ringing strange in his throat. "We will try… we will just-" But he couldn't really think or speak, completely at a loss for what to do. He'd remembered a few diagrams of babies born backwards, but he couldn't readily recall what the process was. In an instant, he turned to Xavier, the only resource he had. 

"We…" Xavier looked wide eyed and desperate, turning to Big E to hold Willow. "We… we need to act quick- we don't know how anything's positioned and it could be bad- there could b-be cord collapse or something-"

Taking the hot seat beside Brie, Xavier tried to clean his hands in the water pail as quickly as possible and Cesaro came closer to Seth, reading the crumpling resolve across his face. 

"Schatzchen, it's okay, breathe," Cesaro said, mostly because it seemed like the right thing to say. Seth exhaled, past words and unable to speak. No matter what, Cesaro would be as strong as possible for his mate, ready to do whatever he had to in order to make sure they were all safe. Willow and baby Dean were there now, and however they had to get the third child out, Cesaro knew he would be ready. 

He remembered the time when Seth had told Cesaro to do whatever he had to in order to make sure the babies were okay. Specifically the night Seth had made it clear that he'd throw down his life if that's what it took. Looking down into his mate's red eyes, ringed with exhaustion, pain and hopelessness, Cesaro knew he could never forgive himself for all the things he'd put the man through. 

"Push," Xavier instructed, "push push push-" 

Seth seethed and Cesaro watched a limp leg come free, nudged along by Xavier and Brie. Kofi made a strange noise.

"Another boy," he said. Xavier nodded and Cesaro's heart filled, still jittering on tenterhooks. 

"Good job guys," Dean said gruffly. Cesaro could see he was crying, wiping his eyes with the hand that wasn't wrapped around the baby that was named for him. 

"The shoulders-" Xavier said, wiping his face clean from sweat with his elbow. "They… they might be up… but we'll try here," 

The room was still dead silent except for Seth's grunting and pushing. Brie watched mostly just wiping away blood as a cloud passed and the room was awash with full light. Seth's pushing wasn't terribly strong anymore and Cesaro clenched his jaw, trying to will the baby out with his mind, inch by inch. 

But then, Seth gasped, tossing his head back, clearly in need of a break. 

"The cord-" Xavier said, voice muffled in his throat. Cesaro stared. "The cords… around his neck."

"Push Seth," Brie implored, rubbing his leg. "Baby's gotta come out  _ now _ ." 

Seth howled, falling into choked and raspy cries. 

"Schatzchen, Seth, love," Cesaro said firmly, squeezing his hand. "You can do this, I know you can."

"Good, good, good," Brie said, eyes wide. "Yes,"

"We're pulling!" Xavier nearly yelled. Cesaro could see he was holding the baby's hips. "Just push!"

Cesaro buried his face in Seth's neck, squeezing Seth's hand back fit to break, willing him to his last shaking push. He only stopped when he felt the hand relax back and felt as though the whole room could hear his pounding heart. Seth shuddered and the room inhaled, all looking on in awe, and then…

The baby's head was dark. The cord had been wrapped tight around its neck and looped an arm inside, contorting it. Even as Xavier hurriedly attempted to cut the cord and disentangle it, there was no illusion of life or potential. The air left the room and although the sun shone bright, no warmth was felt. 

The shock of it, and the finality of seeing such a sight between Seth's legs was so devastating Cesaro felt pain in his body again. His lungs ached from the fire and he felt crushed under the weight of it all, bearing down on him relentlessly, burning the image of the stillborn infant into the backs of his eyes. Xavier sobbed noiselessly, but began to clean the infant carefully, swaddling it in the cloth that had been set aside for it. Brie sat, in shock, holding her head in her hand and staring at the floor while Dean tried to excuse himself, but was apparently conflicted about removing the baby in his arms from the room. 

"It- it happens," Xavier choked, babbling inappropriately, "it happens with premature babies and with multiples, there's j-just… there's just a greater chance of… of it happening…" 

Cesaro took a deep breath, trying to stop the room from spinning in his eyes. He could cry and scream and fall apart, but not at that moment, not when Seth needed to do it  _ more _ . Overwhelmingly, he was tormented by the memory of every gasp and cry and admission of pain Seth had felt on the hellish ride through the fire. The thought that he could have somehow prevented this if he'd just assigned himself to memorizing Xavier's book and massaging Seth's belly around the clock. From the hallway he could hear mumbling, likely some explanation of the events taking place in hushed whispers. His whole equilibrium was off and nothing smelled remotely familiar anymore. 

Beside him, Seth was tugging, wincing to ease himself up a little and adjust the tiny swaddled cloth of their last son in his arms. With a shaking breath, he pulled the covered infant close, burying it in his body for a last time. 

"I love you," Cesaro managed, pulling his aching arm around Seth and holding him as tightly as he could manage. "I'm so sorry, I love you so much, Seth."

Seth didn't say anything, but Cesaro could feel his suffering radiating off his body, making his own chest clench and constrict around his heart. His hair fell around his shoulders, his slightly unkempt beard pushing against the bundle of fabric. Kiss after kiss was pressed to the cloth and Seth's eyes crinkled, wet and broken, dark under his heavy brow. 

For a long time, they just sat together with Brie and Xavier wiping Seth's legs and bottom, trying to clean him up as best as they could to occupy their hands. When the afterbirth finally came, the room smelled distinctly changed. No longer like a fragrant omega or some earthy, textured odor, but quiet and dry, like sand and heat. 

Baby Dean cried first, and then Willow, in a chorus of high and low pitched shrieks. Brie offered to nurse them, and Cesaro agreed after some initial hesitation. That first bonding with Seth was very important and it had been some time since the babies had connected with either of their parents, but Seth looked so dejected and lifeless, Cesaro couldn't bring himself to separate him from the body of their third child. 

"I thought about naming him Jeremy," Seth admitted, barely a whisper. Cesaro nodded. 

_ Willow, Dean and Jeremy _ he thought, closing his eyes and rubbing Seth's shoulder. It hurt, rolling the names around in his mouth and then leaving the third out, tonguing two instead of three. Two babies. They had two living children. It was a blessing, surely. They'd made it out alive and Seth had given birth to two babies that they'd be raising and caring for over the course of their lives. The fact that Seth himself hadn't succumbed to some complication or another was amazing all by itself. 

"We will do right by him," Cesaro said, patting the cloth and speaking softly so only Seth could hear. "We will give him a funeral and he will know he was loved by all of us. His brother and sister will know who he was and that he was important."

Seth couldn't cry anymore, but he couldn't sleep much either. Made guilty by the fact that Brie was nursing his children and he barely had the strength to hold them. When Alicia returned with food and the rest of the group began to congregate outside, Seth refused breakfast.

Cesaro needed a moment, and once Dean settled to keep Seth company, he quickly gathered a plate of porridge and bacon and sat in the dirt outside the house. He cried into his food, which he tried to eat quickly, blind to the women who were sitting in a circle and watching the fire down the hill. Big E, Kofi and Xavier joined them and were eating their own fill, as unenthusiastic as it was possible for them to be.

It wasn't until Willow was pressed into his arms that he felt a sense of purpose and Cesaro held her tight, shushing her small cries and trying to steady his breath carefully.

At some point that morning, Lady Charlotte had woken, and Cesaro paced around the house as he saw her sitting alone by the barn. She looked as downtrodden as the rest of them, and Cesaro felt angry and tense. If he could blame anyone for what had happened that morning, it was  _ her _ . 

But for all that Brie and Daniel had done for him, he decided against murdering someone on their property, and so he walked back inside with Willow in his arms, trying to put on a composed front in order to face his mate again. 

* * *

In the coming days, Seth struggled, but began to build himself back up.

The funeral for Jeremy was about a mile up the road from the farm house, chosen in part because of a huge valley oak tree that overlooked the road and was home to many screaming cicadas that brutally serenaded the small ceremony. Upon choosing the spot, Dean dug a small hole and Cesaro laid the baby down in a small box that had been provided by Daniel. 

"The bugs will always be singin' for him," Dean said, short on poetic words. Seth and Cesaro held Willow and baby Dean, watching as Big E softly piled earth back into the hole. A few songs were hummed on the way back, reducing Cesaro to tears. But Seth just held Willow and Dean close, trying to focus as much as possible on the babies in front of him. 

Lady Charlotte and Dana watched from afar, respectfully not intruding on the grief, but not allowing the omega out of their sight. Daniel and Brie began to understand there was a tension going on between the men and women of the group, but didn't comment, possibly believing it was caused by the death of the baby. Alicia was apparently paid for her services and left after the end of the first day, but Alexa and Nia stayed along, much more sympathetic to Seth and the babies than to Charlotte's mission. 

As Seth healed and began to have an easier time moving and walking around, it came with an unexpected change that proved helpful, but confusing to himself and the group. Over the course of the birth, the ever present omega scent had diminished almost entirely and was now almost indistinguishable from the understated smell of a beta. 

"Do you feel well?" Cesaro asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at his lover carefully. Because of his poor sense of smell, he couldn't assess Seth's condition by scent at all.

"Better than I was." Seth shrugged, blinking and grimacing at the smell of his wrist. "I'm so dirty… I haven't felt clean in ages."

"We'll get you somewhere less dusty soon." Cesaro said, watching him stare at Willow and Dean as they slept. 

Really he didn't know where the hell they should go or what they were supposed to do, now that they had two very small babies to care for. Xavier warned against traveling in such a smokey climate and Brie and Daniel insisted it was fine that they stayed so long as they helped with farm duties. In the morning, Cesaro milked the farm's only cow while Seth woke early to feed the babies. On the night of the fifth day, lightning flashed bright and ear-splittingly loud across the field. It poured for nearly a week, flooding part of the valley and obscuring the road. 

Dana pulled Cesaro aside during one morning's milking and tried to make sense of their plan.

"Lady Charlotte doesn't know what to do," she explained. "I think we should just leave- the rain might not let up for months now and none of us want to take Seth away."

"Good," Cesaro snorted. "Not that I would have let you do such a thing."

"Apparently the King's agreement with her was only going to work if all of the babies had survived," she continued, pressing on tactlessly. "King Helmsley doesn't need to know about all of this. We just want to go home and stop dealing with this mess. We're all… really… sorry about what happened-"

"Than why do you not just leave then?" Cesaro demanded, nearly upending the milk bucket as he struggled to keep his voice down. "You do not get your prize money or whatever. I would give you all the money I own to leave us alone and never bother us again."

"We don't need your money," Dana said firmly. "Lady Charlotte just wants to talk to Seth before she leaves. She didn't want to ask you outright-"   


"No," Cesaro spat. "Thank you very much for not talking to us at all for this time, but you have caused enough pain-" 

"Lady Charlotte has offered her word to lie to the King if she can talk to Rollins," Dana said louder. "Otherwise she cannot guarantee that reinforcements from King Helmsley will not find you-"

Cesaro was on his feet as fast as he could manage, but Dana was quicker, grabbing his still healing arm and twisting it painfully. Cesaro swore and thrashed, spooking the cow which bellowed loudly. 

"Just a word, a  _ meeting _ ," Dana said, her breath pulling as she effectively pinned his arm behind his back and forced him up against the wall of the barn. They were alone now, as the others had gone to help dig a trench around the property to keep the area from flooding. "Lady Charlotte just wants to ask Rollins something. No weapons, no tricks, nothing like that."

Cesaro kicked back and managed to brush Dana off. He ran back to the farm house, nursing his twisted arm. Inside, Seth was sitting on the cot and nursing the babies sleepily, cradling them against his sides and into the swell of his still distended pooch of a tummy, wrapped in a tight cloth to encourage the surface to firm up. Upon the door opening, Seth looked up, slightly alarmed. 

"How much does Lady Charlotte scare you?" Cesaro asked, standing in the doorway. Seth shrugged and squinted. 

"Why?" he asked. "What's she doing?"

According to Seth, meeting with such an enemy was a small price to pay for the security of their family. But Cesaro was quick to remind him they could be lying all the same. For the rest of the afternoon, they sat together, holding and nursing the babies while Seth pontificated about what Charlotte might want. After informing Dana of their decision, the two waited until nightfall and Lady Charlotte came to their room, wet from the rain and looking faintly ghostlike. 

Cesaro waited with Brie in the living room, sitting with Willow and baby Dean until the door opened again after about ten minutes. Cesaro rose and Charlotte looked unchanged. For a moment, they caught each other's eyes and stared, before she left out the front door without another word. 

"Her father had disappeared under mysterious circumstances," Seth explained casually when Cesaro returned to the room and handed baby Dean over to his mate. Dean fussed until Seth fixed him on his breast and leaned back, recalling the conversation without any hint of anxiety. "I remembered, when I was a courtier, he was a well loved man, but he was very eccentric. When his son died, he worked against the court's wishes to instate Lady Charlotte as his heir instead of this omega-born duke or something, anyways-" Seth shrugged, rubbing Dean's cheek. "I just told her that her dad had been smuggled away by the King. I only knew because I'd overheard it after a regularly scheduled meeting, but there was a plot by the Duke's family to assassinate him and then pursue his estate in court. King Helmsley liked her father, so he arranged for him to go somewhere and make it seem like he died or something."

Cesaro shook his head, blinking. 

"I guess the King dangled that information over her nose to get her to find me," Seth sighed, accepting Willow as she began to fuss too. "I won't tire of sinking into obscurity, believe me."

"You knew all of this? But you didn't tell her?" Cesaro laughed, watching Willow begin to suckle, holding her little hand out and settling down against the breast. 

"She didn't ask me about any of it 'till now." Seth shrugged, trying not to jostle the babies. Cesaro laughed again, but his thoughts were interrupted as he remembered Seth as a courtier, flirting with him over the penthouse garden. It seemed like years and years ago, barely recognizable in his faded memory. 

Days where Cesaro had worn expensive robes and went to and from the same house everyday, looking forward to his lovestruck omega boyfriend. 

"Hopefully we will never find ourselves back there," he sighed, fondly recalling Seth's overbearing scent washing over his body. Even as his bleeding began to ebb and his swollen joints shrunk, Seth's scent was still dull and vacant. 

"I remember it said in the book that an omega's scent can lessen over time due to age," Xavier thought aloud to Cesaro one day as they watched the rain fall on the deck of the farmhouse. Josie, the bulldog was sitting in the corner and Seth was napping while the men tended to the babies. 

"Seth is not old." Cesaro muttered, watching Xavier tease the little sprig of dark hair coming out of Willow's hat. "I am older than he is." 

"Well, he's not sick," Xavier said, frowning. "Though… I think it said after a traumatic event, it can change too..."

Cesaro didn't have much of a response to that, holding onto baby Dean and trying to keep himself from feeling broody and annoyed. Their lives had been so chaotic, there really wasn't much willingness to move on or do anything. Though Brie and Daniel were very accommodating, Cesaro was sure they were wearing out their welcome as the rains prevented them for being able to do much farmwork. On clear days, Seth took the opportunity to walk to Jeremy's grave to give himself some exercise, but Cesaro hadn't found a way to ask him what he wanted to do next.

It was as though the last year had been a dream they were slowly waking up from.

"When the rain stops, I'm going to leave," Dean confided in Cesaro one evening as they made a fire in the barn. Big E and Kofi nodded as well, looking grave and tired on a stack of hay bales. Xavier didn't say anything, but Cesaro knew he was done asking the men for favors. 

"Where will you all go to?" He asked patiently, looking around. Thunder crackled low above them and the horses knickered.

"Find my girl," Dean said, "Head west,"

"It'll be too cold to go much farther north," Kofi sighed, "But I've already talked to some guys in Rappleforth that say they need some help at their dirt farm."

Cesaro nodded, sure that Seth would be upset with their absence. Aside from being good friends, it had been enormously helpful to have extra sets of hands to assist with the babies. Though Cesaro had been sure that they would be separated at some point, he didn't know why he hadn't considered it until then.

To some extent, the lack of the omega scent was settling hard on their bodies. Nobody was particularly cheerful, and the happy-go-lucky willingness to coexist was ebbing away. The group had bonded at the orchard over Seth's smell and now that they were going without, regret and exhaustion pulled them into an unsettling silence. 

When the rain finally broke, it was a hard day, and Seth and Cesaro both cried, watching Xavier, Big E and Kofi walk down the muddy path to Rappleforth. Josie barked, and Daniel and Brie sent them off with jars of peaches they'd canned last spring. Dean was prepared as well, his horse tacked up and ready with the sparse belongings he owned. As he stood, looking to Seth and Cesaro and the babies, a momentary look of longing overcame his face, and he gave a rare smile. 

"I don't know if we would all be here if it was not for you," Cesaro said seriously, feeling his eyes wet again. "Thank you, for everything."

"You named a kid after me, I think I get the point." Dean mumbled. Again, he looked thoughtful, considering himself. Making up his mind, he drew his hand into his shirt pocket and drew out a browned and weathered piece of paper and handed it to Cesaro.

"For you, I don't need it anymore," Dean said, walking over to his horse. "Good luck you guys,"

They watched him ride out onto the road, passing the other three men and their walking group as the horse kicked up dirt and flecks of mud in a swift gallop. Cesaro put a hand around Seth, feeling him shudder hard from tears. It was hard to reconcile the idea that baby Dean might never know this strange man that had done so much for them, but the guilt of so much borrowed time still weighed over Cesaro. Willow fussed a little in Seth's arms, and Cesaro took her, pushing the tiny baby against his good shoulder. With one hand, Cesaro pushed open the piece of paper Dean had given him, revealing a tiny pressed leaf, yellowed and dried up.

"What is it?" Seth asked. Cesaro frowned and held it up, examining the artifact. Curiously, he brought it to his nose and breathed in. It didn't smell like anything.

"Leaves?" Cesaro said simply, looking to Seth for some sort of explanation. His face looked confused, as though he was trying to recall something.

"I don't know..." Seth said, "I don't remember."

Daniel and Brie argued that it didn't make much sense to set out during winter when the two had no plans, so Seth and Cesaro agreed to stay for the time being. Brie was excited to have other babies around for Birdie to be around and Cesaro knew he could take the time to work and talk to Seth about what they should be doing. As the year came to a close, Dean and Willow grew to look more healthy but Seth's scent stayed low and unassuming. 

Cesaro chopped wood and Seth cared for the babies most days. Brie went into town and Daniel worked on repairing the roads after minor floods. Some days they went to visit Jeremy's grave, and others, Cesaro took Seth into town with their children and they speculated on what their spring might look like. For Seth, it was a huge step to be around a crowd of people in a market, after years of being relegated to hiding and proceeding unseen. His new ability to blend in was overwhelming at first, but Seth quickly began to enjoy his less than special treatment, excited to live as a beta. 

"I hope they aren't omegas," Seth said of the babies one day, putting Dean and Willow on their bellies. Cesaro frowned, watching him with a sense of dismay.

"They won't be made to live like you did if they were," Cesaro said, "You know that right? You  _ are _ still an omega."

"I just don't want there to be trouble," Seth explained, not making eye contact. "I don't want my scent to come back."

It was particularly troubling, considering Cesaro often dreamed of meeting Seth in the penthouse and scenting him over and over. His sense of smell was so poor, it was difficult for him to even smell the babies unless his nose was pressed right up against them, searching. Cesaro knew Seth wasn't trying to be insensitive, but everything was very different now. Although their lives were easier, even with fussing infants and much less money than they might like, the scentless existence was a harsh adjustment period, especially as they still grieved their stillborn child.

But still they carried on, and Cesaro was as patient as ever, watching Seth for cues and making sure he was comfortable as he nursed and ate and slept, always a little on edge when Dean and Willow weren't in his line of sight.

One morning, Cesaro woke to find that it was snowing lightly and he roused Seth, grinning at the falling flakes outside their window. Eagerly, they slipped out of their new bed and grabbed the babies from their bassinets and wrapped them in thick blankets before heading outside.

"We should visit Jeremy today," Seth said, holding out his hand and waiting for a snowflake to land. Cesaro smiled, watching Willow and Dean look as perplexed and innocent as ever, unable to comprehend what they were seeing.

"We will have to see if we have warm enough coats." Cesaro said, pulling Dean closer as a cold breeze came past the porch. "I am sure it will be very pretty right now."

"My boots should be thick enough," Seth nodded. "Let's do it later when the sun comes out." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Let me know what you thought. <3

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic months ago when this pairing was a lot more relevant and now the Shield is reunited and I'm circling back, lol. 
> 
> I'll try to release 2 chapters a week or so, depending on my own schedule and that of my angel beta Kenjideath. By all means review this and let me know what you think! It's pretty much already all outlined or written so it won't change much, but I'd love to know what you think anyway. This whole fic is just me having a lot of fun, so it's probably not what everyone's into, but hey, if you like the porn let me know!


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